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PRINCETON,  N.    J. 


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PRESENTED   BY 


THE   PRESBYTERIAN   BOARD  OF   PUBLICATION 


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Nearing  Home. 


COMFORTS  AND  COUNSELS  FOR  THE  AGED. 


WILLIAM  E.   SCHENCK,  D.D. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION, 

1334  CHESTNUT  STREET. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1868,  by 

THE    TRUSTEES    OF    THE 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  for  the  Eastern 
District  of  Pennsylvania. 


estoott  &  Thomson, 

Btereotypers,  Philada. 


CONTENTS. 


PREFACE 9 

WOULD  YOU  BE  YOUNG  AGAIN? Caroline,  Baroness  of  Nairn.  11 

THE  REVIEW  OF  LIFE Anonymous.  13 

THE  OLD  FOLKS Anonymous.  U 

NIGHTFALL Margaret  Junkin.  36 

FATHER,  I  KNOW Miss  A.  L.  Waring.  S3 

OUR  ONE  LIFE.... Horatius  Bonar,  D.D.  41 

RETROSPECT Martin  F.  Tupper.  i?> 

REFLECTIONS  ON  OLD  AGE Archibald  Alexander,  D.D.  45 

CHRISTIAN  GRACES  FOR  THE  AGED Anonymous.  5-3 

BRIDGES A.  D.  F.  Randolph.  55 

A  LITTLE  WHILE Greville.  53 

THE  FRUITLESS  TREE John  M.  Lowrie,  D.D.  CO 

AFTERNOON .M.aigaret  Junkin.  62 

OLD  AGE  ANTICIPATED Rev.  Reuben  Smith.  64 

LOVING-KINDNESS Rev.  Samuel  Medley.  70 

A  FEW  MOBE  DAYS Horatius  Panar,  D.D.  73 

ABIDE  WITH  ME Rev.  Henry  Francis  Lyte.  SO 

GOD  IS  MY  LIGHT TIencstenrerg.  S2 

THE  PILGRIM'S  RETROSPECT Rev.  Robert  F.  Sample.  S4 

3 


4  CONTENTS. 

PAG* 

SYMPATHY  AXD  SELFISHNESS Anonymous.  87 

THY  SAVIOUR'S  PRAYER Anonymous.  94 

THE  AGED  CHRISTIAN . Anonymous.  96 

THE  VOICE  FROM  GALILEE Horatius  Bonar,  D.D.  99 

THE  FATHER-LAND From  the  German  of  Claus  Harms.  101 

THE  PALM James  Hamilton,  D.D.  103 

GOD,  MY  EXCEEDING  JOY James  W.  Alexander,  D.D.  107 

A  NAME  IN  THE  SAND Hannah  F.  Gould.  109 

STILL  WILL  WE  TRUST William  H.  Burleigh.  Ill 

A  PROSPECT  OF  HEAVEN Isaac  Watts,  D.D.  113 

3ELS  TO  THE  AGED Archibald  Alexander,  D.D.  115 

NEARER  TO  THEE Miss  Sarah  F.  Adams.  125 

MY  REST  IS  IN  HEAVEN Anonymous.  127 

THE  CROWN  OF  MY  HOPE William  Cowper.  129 

HOME  IN  VIEW Rev.  John  Newton.  131 

EVENING  TIME James  Montgomery.  133 

\XD  TO  WIFE John  M.  Lowrie,  D.D.  134 

To  AX  AGED  UNBELIEVER William  S.  Plumer,  D.D.  142 

NOTHING  BUT  LEAVES Anonymous.  151 

GOD,  OUR  HELP Isaac  Watts,  D.D.  153 

I  KXOW  THAT  I  MUST  DIE From  the  German  op  B.  Schmolke.  155 

AS  CHRIST  CHOOSES Riciiard  Baxter.  157 

THE  BLESSED  HOPE Rev.  Augustus  M.  Toplady.  159 

EXEMPT  FROM  THE  DECAYS  OF  AGE John  Gosman,  D.D.  162 

HEAVEN Anonymous.  166 

LIGHT  AT  EVENTIDE Anonymous.  168 

Martin  F.  Tupper.  170 


CONTENTS.  5 

PAGB 

ALL  IS  WELL Anonymous.  172 

TO  THE  UTTERMOST Rev.  Gardiner  Spring  Plumlby.  174 

A  LITTLE  WHILE.... Horatius  Bonar,  D.D.  181 

PECULIAR  DUTIES  OP  THE  AGED Archibald  Alexander,  D.D.  183 

I  SHALL  SOON  BE  DYING. .....Anonymous.  192 

THE  LOSS  OF  MEMORY Anonymous.  194 

PRAYER  OF  AN  AGED  BELIEVER Sir  Robert  Grant.  201  . 

HEAVENLY  REALITIES From  the  German  of  J.  Lange.  203 

SORROWS  AND  CONSOLATIONS  OF  OLD  AGE Rev.  John  Kennedy.  206 

CHRISTIAN'S  VIEW  OF  ETERNITY From  German  of  C.  C.  Sturm.  215 

DIM  EVE  DRAWS  ON Anonymous.  217 

THE  INFIRMITIES  OF  AGE Anonymous.  21S 

JOYS  TO  COME....; From  the  German  of  H.  C.  Von  Schweinitz.  229 

THE   PROMISED  STRENGTH Anonymous.  231 

TARRY  WITH  ME Anonymous.  245 

OUTLIVED  HER  USEFULNESS Mrs.  Adeline  T.  Davidson.  247 

THE  HOPE  OF  THE  DISCONSOLATE Sir  Robert  Grant.  252 

NEARER  HOME Alice  Cary.  254 

BEYOND  THE  SUNSET Rev.  Robert  F.  Sample.  256 

THE   UNCHANGING  FRIEND Anonymous.  253 

THE  SYMPATHY  OF  JESUS Paul  Gephardt.  273 

THE  FRIEND  UNSEEN Charlotte  Elliot.  276 

YOUTH  RENEWED  IN  AGE James  W.  Alexander,  D.D.  278 

SOJOURNING  AS  AT  AN  INN A.  D.  F.  Randolph.  285 

TO  AN  OLD  DISCIPLE William  S.  Plumer,  D.D.  288 

ONLY  WAITING Anonymous.  302 

FRIEND  AFTER  FRIEND  DEPARTS James  Montgomery.  304 


6  CONTENTS. 

FAQS 

WORDS  IN  SEASON Anonymous.  306 

THE  CHRISTIAN'S  HOPE From  the  German.  327 

THE  VERGE  OF  LIFE Philip  Doddridge,  D.D.  330 

YONDER, Horatius  Bonar,  D.D.  332 

TOO  OLD  TO  BE  USEFUL , Anonymous.  334 

OLD  AGE John  Walton.  350 

FULLY  RIPE Anonymous.  351 

THE  HOUR  OF  DEPARTURE Rev.  John  Logan.  353 

HOW  TO  DIE  SAFELY Archibald  Alexander,  D.D.  355 

OUR  BELOVED  HAVE  DEPARTED From  the  German  of  J.  Lange.  364 

CONFIDENCE   IN  GOD Paul  Gephardt.  366 

THE  BANKS  OF  THE  RIVER Anonymous.  369 

HEAVENWARD From  the  German  op  B.  Schmolke.  3S7 

WHEN  WILT  THOU  DIE? Anonymous.  3S9 

THE  AGED  BELIEVER'S  TRIUMPH Rev.  William  Romaine.  392 

A  LITTLE  WAY Miss  Josephine  Pollard.  405 

PORT  IN  DEATH From  the  German  op  N.  Hermann.  407 

THE  HEAVENLY  REST Anonymous.  409 

AGED  BELIEVER  AT  THE  GATE  OF  HEAVEN....Thos.  Guthrie,  D.D.  42f 

A  BETTER  COUNTRY Rev.  John  Newton.  427 

GRANDMA  IS  DEAD A.  D.  F.  Randolph.  428 

LONGING  AFTER  HEAVEN De  Fleury.  432 

CROSSING  THE  RIVER Rev.  Robert  F.  Sample.  434 

HEAVEN Horatius  Bonar,  D.D.  437 

HERE  AND  THERE Anonymous.  439 

THAT  LAND From  the  German  op  Uhland.  441 

PRAYER  FOR  ONE  NEARING  ANOTHER  WORLD. ..A.  Alexander,  D.D.  443 


CONTENTS.  7 

PAGB 

GOD  OF  MY  YOUTH Isaac  Watts,  D.D.  450 

I  WOULD  NOT  LIVE  ALWAY William  A.  Muhlenberg,  D.D.  452 

THE  LORD'S  MY  SHEPHERD Rouse.  454 

THE  PILGRIM'S  SONG Anonymous.  455 

WORN  AND  WEARY S.  Roberts.  457 

AS  THY  DAYS Lydia  H.  Sigourney.  459 

THE  HEAVENLY  REST William  B.  Tappan.  460 

THY  WILL  BE  DONE Charlotte  Elliot.  461 

OUR  HOME Anonymous.  463 


PREFACE 


In  this  day,  when  so  much  labour  is  expended  in 
producing  almost  innumerable  books  for  the  young, 
there  is  clanger  of  our  neglecting  the  aged  ones  who 
are  about  to  pass  off  the  stage  of  life.  Yet  there  is 
a  host  of  men  and  women  in  the  decline  of  life  who 
will  be  glad  to  receive  a  few  words  of  instruction,  of 
sympathy  and  of  kindly  cheer.  For  such  this  book 
has  been  prepared.  May  God  bless  it  and  make  it  a 
blessing  to  all  such  readers ! 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  materials  for  the  volume 
have  been  gathered  from  a  great  variety  of  sources. 
Special  acknowledgment  is  due  to  a  volume  entitled 
"Life's  Evening  Hour,"  published  by  the  Religious 
Tract  Society  of  London,  from  which  several  of  the 
excellent  anonymous  pieces  have  been  taken. 

W.  E.  S. 


Nearing  Home 


Jpfoulfr  $mx  be  fWng  ^gain  ?  * 

CAROLINE,    BARONESS    OF    NAIRN. 

Would  you  be  young  again  ? 

So  would  not  I ; — 
One  tear  to  memory  given, 

Onward  I'll  hie  ; — 
Life's  dark  wave  forded  o'er, 

All  but  at  rest  on  shore, 
Say,  would  you  plunge  once  more, 

With  home  so  nigh  ? 

If  you  might,  would  you  now 

Retrace  your  way  ? 
Wander  through  stormy  wilds. 

Faint  and  astray  ? 
Night's  gloomy  watches  fled, 

Morning  all  beaming  red, 
Hope's  smiles  around  us  shed, 

Heavenward,  away ! 

*  Written  in  the  author's  seventy-sixth  year. 


u 


12  NEARING  BOME. 

Where  are  those  dear  ones, 

Our  joy  and  delight, 
Dear  and  more  dear,  though  now 

Hidden  from  sight  ? 
Where  they  rejoice  to  be, 

There  is  the  home  for  me ; 
Fly,  time,  fly  speedily ; 

Come,  light  and  life ! 


fyt  |ttbteto  of  fifie. 


ANONYMOUS. 


The  busy  day  of  life  is  over.  Its  pleasures,  its 
duties,  and  its  anxieties  have  passed  away.  The 
sunshine  and  the  shade,  which  alternately  marked 
its  path,  have  alike  disappeared ;  and  the  soft  tints 
of  evening  are  gathered  over  the  sky. 

The  evening  of  life !  Yes :  life  has  its  sunset  hour, 
its  twilight  season.  The  dim  eye,  the  silvered  lock, 
and  the  feeble  step  indicate  that  the  closing  period  of 
earthly  existence  has  arrived.  How  rapid  has  been 
the  flight  of  time !  How  near  must  be  the  approach 
of  eternity ! 

The  gradual  decline  of  health  and  strength  is  a 
kind  and  merciful  preparative  for  the  solemn  change 
which  awaits  us.  It  seems  to  lessen  the  reluctance 
which  our  nature  feels  to  give  up  life ;  to  wean  us 
from  the  varied  attractions  of  earth ;  to  soften  the 
abrupt  transition  from  the  present  to  a  future  state 
of  being.  It  accustoms  us  to  the  consideration  of 
death :  it  assists  us  in  the  realization  of  immortality. 

The  evening  of  life !     Evening  is  the  time  for  rest. 


13 


14  NEARING  HOME. 

The  little  bird  seeks  its  leafy  roost ;  the  rosy  child 
throws  aside  its  playthings  and  falls  asleep ;  the 
weary  labourer  comes  home  from  his  work.  The 
cares  of  the  day  are  forgotten ;  and  all  is  hushed  and 
quiet.  And  life's  closing  hours,  Christian  reader, 
should  be  distinguished  by  serenity  and  repose. 
You  must  not  harass  and  perplex  yourself  now  with 
occupations  which  were  once  both  appropriate  and 
necessary,  nor  repine  because  you  are  unable  to  exert 
yourself  as  in  former  days.  Your  strength  is  to  sit 
still.  Old  age  is  the  resting-place  in  the  journey  of 
life ;  and  the  feverish  heat  of  noontide  is  exchanged 
for  the  refreshing  coolness  of  twilight. 

An  impatient,  restless,  grasping,  or  dissatisfied 
spirit  is  not  consistent  with  the  character  of  an  aged 
pilgrim.  Habitual  quietude  and  self-possession 
should  mark  his  demeanour.  Neither  the  excite- 
ments of  the  world,  nor  the  agitations  of  the  pro- 
fessing church,  should  ruffle  your  equanimity  ;  for 
you  are  too  experienced  a  traveller  in  this  vale  of 
tears  to  be  discomposed  by  the  distractions  around 
you,  or  to  doubt  the  wisdom  and  faithfulness  of  Him 
who  makes  all  things  work  together  l'or  good. 

Your  rest  in  Christ,  your  trust  in  him  as  your 
Saviour,  should  be  more  perfect,  more  unwavering 
than  in  earlier  years.     "I  know  whom  I  have  be- 


THE  REVIEW  OF  LIFE.  15 

lieved,  and  am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep  that 
which  I  have  committed  unto  him  against  that 
day,"*  should  be  the  assured  expression  of  your  con- 
fidence in  him.  Firmly  placed  on  the  Rock  of  ages, 
and  fully  conscious  of  the  security  of  your  position, 
your  closing  life  should  be  a  realization  of  that 
promise  in  which  Grocl  has  engaged  to  keep  in  "  per- 
fect peace"  those  whose  minds  are  stayed  on  him.f 
The  cheerful,  all-sustaining  faith  of  an  aged  Chris- 
tian is  one  of  the  best  testimonies  to  the  worth  and 
reality  of  religion,  and  furnishes  a  bright  and  en- 
couraging example  to  the  lambs  of  the  flock.  Weary 
and  distressed  by  the  arduous  conflict  in  which  he  is 
engaged,  the  youthful  Christian  is  frequently  too 
ready  to  conclude  with  the  desponding  patriarch, 
"All  these  things  are  against  me;"J  or  to  exclaim 
with  the  sorrowful  Psalmist,  "I  shall  perish  one 
day."§  At  such  seasons  in  his  experience  his  faith 
is  strengthened  and  his  hope  is  revived  as  he  be- 
holds the  tranquillity  and  peace  of  some  advanced 
believer,  who  has  safely  passed  through  similar 
trials  and  successfully  surmounted  similar  tempta- 
tions to  his  own,  and  who  is  now  enjoying  a  foretaste 
of  that  rest  which  remaineth  to  the  people  of  God. 

*  2  Tim.  i.  12.  t  Isa.  xxvi.  3. 

%  Gen.  xlii.36.  \  1  Sam.  xxvii.  1. 


16  HEARING  HOME. 

Such  repose  is  to  him  a  pledge  of  his  own  partial 
deliverance  from  toil  and  conflict ;  and  the  contem- 
plation of  it  enables  him  to  gird  up  the  loins  of  his 
mind,  and  to  run  with  patience  the  race  set  before 
him. 

Then  let  those  around  you,  Christian  reader,  see 
that  your  hope  is  like  an  anchor  sure  and  steadfast ; 
that  you  are  now  confidently  resting  upon  those 
principles  which  have  hitherto  sustained  and  guided 
you..  Let  no  doubt  shadow  your  peace;  no  anxiety 
ruffle  your  composure.  You  have  struggled  long 
with  trial  and  temptation ;  you  have  tested  in  your 
own  experience  the  truth  of  God's  promises;  you 
have  done  his  work  among  your  fellow-men ;  and 
now  you  must  calmly  wait  until  your  Father's  loving 
voice  bids  you  welcome  home. 

The  evening  of  life  !  Evening  is  the  time  for  re- 
flection. Amidst  the  busy  and  exciting  occupations 
of  the  day  there  is  seldom  much  opportunity  for 
serious  consideration.  Well-disciplined  minds,  it  is 
true,  can  control  their  thoughts,  and  gather  them 
around  high  and  holy  subjects,  even  in  those  mo- 
ments which  are  necessarily  devoted  to  worldly  busi- 
ness; but  most  persons  are  so  harassed  and  engrossed 
by  the  constant  claims  upon  their  time  and  attention 
is  scarcely  to  be  able  to  cast  a  hurried  glance  on 


THE  REVIEW  OF  LIFE.  17 

things  which  are  unseen  and  remote  ;  and  they  feel 
how  welcome  and  how  desirable  is  the  evening  hour 
for  quiet  meditation,  for  self-examination,  and  for 
the  formation  of  wise  and  good  purposes. 

Now,  reader,  your  eventide  of  life  should  be  con- 
secrated to  calm  and  elevated  thought.  Through 
the  long  period  which  is  passed  you  have  not  per- 
haps redeemed  much  time  for  hallowed  considera- 
tion. Martha-like,  you  may  have  been  cumbered 
with  much  serving;  or,  Israel-like,,  you  may  have 
forgotten  the  Lord  your  God.  But  whatever  has 
been  your  j)revious  history,  you  are  now,  by  the 
infirmities  of  age,  withdrawn  from  active  duties,  that 
you  may  muse  upon  coming  realities.  How  thankful 
should  you  feel  that  there  is  yet  a  brief  space  allotted 
you  for  pious  thought  and  preparation,  before  you 
go  hence  and  be  no  more  seen ! 

In  the  peaceful  twilight  hour,  when  we  sit  alone 
and  commune  with  our  own  hearts,  our  thoughts 
naturally  turn  to  the  occurrences  of  the  past  day. 
Little  incidents,  too  trifling  perhaps  to  speak  about, 
are  reviewed  and  dwelt  upon ;  virtuous  actions  which 
have  been  performed  win  the  approval  of  conscience, 
and  wanderings  from  duty  call  forth  feelings  of 
regret ;  pleasing  events  and  painful  trials  have  each 
a  share  in  our  pensive  musings ;  varied  indeed  are 


18  NEARIXG  HOME. 

the  scenes  which  one  clay's  panorama  brings  before 
our  view.  And  then  we  generally  glance  at  the 
future.  We  arrange  our  plans  for  the  coming  day ; 
we  look  forward  with  glad  expectance  to  the  joys 
which  are  in  store  for  us  ;  or  we  shrink  in  fear  and 
despondency  from  the  troubles  which  seem  associated 
with  the  morrow ;  and  will  not  your  thoughts,  aged 
reader,  thus  chiefly  divide  themselves  into  retrospec- 
tion and  anticipation  ? 

Retrospection!  "Thou  shalt  remember  all  the  way 
which  the  Lord  thy  God  led  thee  these  forty  years 
in  the  wilderness."*  Old  age  is  the  most  appropriate 
season  for  this  consideration  of  the  past.  The  judg- 
ment is  not  so  likely  to  be  warped  by  the  heat  of 
excitement,  nor  the  feelings  to  be  swayed  by  the 
influence  of  passion,  as  in  youthful  clays.  The 
veteran,  as  he  recalls  the  battle-field,  can  mark 
events  and  form  opinions  far  more  advantageously 
than  the  soldier  who  is  engaged  in  the  midst  of  an 
action.  Contemplate,  then,  your  whole  life  from  the 
dawn  of  infancy  to  its  present  decline;  trace  out 
the  many  windings  of  your  pathway  through  the 
world;  survey  each  minute  feature  of  your  changeful 
history. 

But  is  it  pleasant  to  look  back?     Are  there  not 

*  Deut.  viii.  2. 


THE  REVIEW  OF  LIFE.  19 

many  places  in  our  pilgrimage  where  memory  dis- 
likes to  linger?  are  there  not  many  facts  in  life's 
early  records  which  we  feel  happier  in  forgetting? 
True,  the  remembrance  of  our  imperfections  and  our 
sins  is  painful  and  self-condemning ;  yet  it  is  always 
best  to  open  one's  eyes  to  the  truth.  Enter,  then, 
into  a  full  and  faithful  examination  of  your  past 
history.  Scrutinize  your  motives  by  the  tests  with 
which  God's  word  furnishes  you ;  and  try  your  con- 
duct by  his  holy  law.  Let  neither  pride  nor  preju- 
dice hide  the  real  state  of  things  from  your  view. 
How  important  is  it  that,  on  the  confines  of  eternity, 
you  should  be  kept  from  self-decej)tion !  Ask  God 
himself  to  be  your  teacher.  Make  this  your  prayer  : 
"Search  me,  0  God,  and  know  my  heart:  try  me, 
and  know  my  thoughts :  and  see  if  there  be  any 
wicked  way  in  me,  and  lead  me  in  the  way  ever- 
lasting."* 

What,  then,  is  the  result  of  your  investigation? 
What  verdict  does  conscience,  enlightened  from 
above,  give  concerning  the  past  ?  It  may  be,  nay,  it 
must  be,  that  you  find  enough  in  your  recollections 
to  overwhelm  you  with  sorrow  and  confusion.  So 
much  selfishness  and  worldliness  have  mingled  with 
your  brightest  deeds;    so  much  unfaithfulness  has 

*  Psa.  cxxxix.  23. 


20  NEARINO  HOME. 

been  connected  with  your  professed  allegiance  to 
Christ;  so  much  impurity  of  heart  and  defilement 
of  life  are  discovered  by  your  rigid  self-inspection, 
that  you  are  ready  to  exclaim  with  the  Psalmist, 
'•Enter  not  into  judgment  with  thy  servant,  0  Lord: 
for  in  thy  sight  shall  no  man  living  be  justified."* 
Or  perhaps  your  reflections  on  the  past  have  con- 
vinced you  that  you  have  hitherto  been  living  with- 
out God  and  without  Christ  in  the  world ;  that  you 
have  JDeen  so  absorbed  with  the  trifles  of  earth  as 
to  have  forgotten  the  attractions  of  heaven ;  that, 
although  a  responsible  being,  and  liable  to  be  sum- 
moned at  any  moment  to  your  final  account,  you 
have  gone  carelessly  on  in  the  ways  of  sin,  and  have 
disobeyed  the  commands  of  the  Most  High. 

The  retrospect  in  either  case  is  humbling.  Yet 
it  leads  to  hope,  and  peace,  and  salvation.  Both  to 
the  troubled  Christian  and  the  penitent  sinner  the 
cheering  annunciation  of  the  gospel  is,  "  The  blood 
of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."f  "Be- 
lieve on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved. "J  Then,  "though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet, 
they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow ;  though  they  be  red 
like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool."§  "  Come  unto 
me,  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I 

*  Psa.  cxliii.  2.        t  1  John  i.  7.        X  Acts  xvi.  31.        I  Isa.  i.  18. 


THE  REVIEW  OF  LIFE.  21 

will  give  you  rest."*  Full  and  free  forgiveness  is 
offered  to  all  who  seek  it  at  his  cross.  Cast  yourself 
with  all  your  sins,  however  great  their  number  or 
aggravated  their  guilt,  at  the  Saviour's  feet,  saying, 
"Lord,  save  me:  I  perish!"  and  his  gracious  re- 
sponse  will  be,  "  Thy  sins  are  forgiven ; — go  in 
peace,  "f 

Let  the  sorrowful  and  self-abasing  remembrance 
of  your  iniquity  make  Christ  in  your  estimation 
increasingly  precious.  Your  sin  is  the  dark  back- 
ground which  throws  his  love  and  his  atonement  into 
strong  relief.  Without  his  sacrifice  and  intercession, 
how  dark  would  be  life's  evening !  Not  one  star  of 
hope  would  illumine  the  sky ;  not  one  ray  of  glad- 
ness would  beam  on  your  spirit.  But  now  the  light 
of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of 
Jesus  Christ  casts  a  lovely  and  softened  radiance 
on  all  around  you  and  before  you.  Oh,  as  you  be- 
hold by  faith  the  Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away 
the  sin  of  the  world,  as  you  thankfully  recognize 
in  him  your  gracious  Mediator  and  ever-prevalent 
Intercessor,  can  you  not  exclaim  with  the  aged  and 
rejoicing  Simeon,  "  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  ser- 
vant depart  in  peace :  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy 
salvation  ?"J 

*  Matt.  xi.  28.        f  Matt.  viii.  25 ;    Luke  vii.  48-50.        %  Luke  ii.  29. 


22  NEARINQ  HOME. 

But  the  consideration  of  the  past  should  not  only 
awaken  penitence,  it  should  excite  gratitude.     You 
have  been  wonderfully  preserved  from  many  dan- 
gers ;  you  have  been  safely  guided  through  many 
difficulties  ;  you  have  been  continually  enriched  with 
numberless  blessings.     Surely  goodness  and  mercy 
have  followed  you  all  the  days  of  your  life.     Recall 
some  of  the  multiplied  proofs  which  you  have  had 
of  God's  tender,  parental  care  over  you.     It  would 
be  impossible  to  recount  every  instance  of  his  good- 
ness towards  you,  for  memory,  always  imperfect,  is 
now  sadly  impaired;  but  "forget  not  all  his  benefits." 
Each  comfort  which  you  have  enjoyed  through  life 
came  from   his   beneficent   hand;   each   impulse   to 
good  and  each  resistance  to  evil  which  you  have  felt 
was  through  the  importation  of  his  grace.     Can  you 
not   heartily  acknowledge   the  truthfulness  of  that 
(  harge  which  the  dying  servant  of  the  Lord  pressed 
homo  upon  the  Israelites  around  him? — "  Ye  know 
that  not  one  thing  hath  failed  of  all  the  good  things 
which  the  Lord  your  God  spake  concerning  you  ;  all 
are  come  to  pass  unto  you,  and  not  one  thing  hath 
failed  thereof."*     Oh  yes!  every  aged  believer  will 
testify  to  the  faithfulness  of  God  in  the  fulfilment  of 
his  promises.    You  can  look  back  to  several  points  in 

*  Joshua  xxiii.  14. 


THE  REVIEW  OF  LIFE.  23 

your  history,  where,  but  for  the  interposition  of 
God's  providence,  or  the  aid  of  his  Spirit,  you  must 
have  been  overwhelmed  by  temptation  and  sorrow. 
Many  have  been  the  occasions  when  you  have  had 
to  set  up  your  stone  of  remembrance,  and  to  confess 
that  hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped  you.  Even  as  to 
your  trials,  you  can  see  now,  with  regard  to  some  of 
them  at  least,  that  they  were  "blessings  in  disguise;" 
and  you  are  sure  that  they  were  all  sent  for  some 
wise  and  loving  purpose.  With  what  grateful  emo- 
tions, then,  should  your  recollections  of  by-gone  days 
be  accompanied ! 

And  should  not  gratitude  for  past  mercies  be  com- 
bined with  hope  for  future  favours  and  deliverances  ? 
"  He  thanked  God,  and  took  courage."*  When  you 
think  of  the  increased  weakness  and  perhaps  suffer- 
ing which  you  have  yet  to  bear ;  of  the  inevitable 
separation  between  yourself  and  those  whom  you 
love  which  will  soon  take  place;  of  the  valley  of 
the  shadow  of  death  through  which  you  must  pass, 
and  of  the  solemn  moment  when  your  spirit  shall 
depart  from  this  world, — natural  feeling  shrinks  from 
the  scene  before  you.  "  Cast  me  not  off  in  the  time 
of  old  age,"  is  the  language  of  your  heart;  "forsake 
me  not  when  my  strength  faileth."f     Hearken  to 

*  Acts  xxviii.  15.  t  Psa.  lxxi.  9. 


24  REARING  HOME. 

the  immediate  reply  of  the  God  of  your  salvation : 
"  I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  ihee."*  "  Fear 
thou  not ;  for  I  am  with  thee :  be  not  dismayed  ;  for 
I  am  thy  God :  I  will  strengthen  thee ;  yea,  I  will 
help  thee;  yea,  I  will  uphold  thee  with  the  right 
hand  of  my  righteousness. "f  Ah !  you  can  read 
these  assurances  in  the  page,  not  of  inspiration  only, 
but  of  experience.  You  can  infer  with  certainty, 
from  God's  conduct  in  past  days,  what  its  complexion 
will  .be  in  future  moments.  He  is  the  same  yester- 
day, to-day,  and  for  ever ;  and  therefore  in  the 
loving-kindness  which  he  has  hitherto  manifested 
towards  you,  you  have  the  surest  pledge  of  the  con- 
tinual exercise  of  his  power  and  goodness.  He  hath 
delivered ;  he  doth  deliver ;  in  whom  you  trust  that 
he  will  yet  deliver.  "  The  God  who  hath  fed  you  all 
your  life  long  "  is  your  God  for  ever  and  ever ;  and 
he  will  be  your  guide  even  unto  death. 

Anticipation!  Looking  back  should  be  combined 
with  looking  forward.  The  weary  pilgrim,  who  re- 
calls with  mingled  sorrow  and  gladness  the  events 
which  have  occurred  during  his  journey,  will  also 
think  of  the  rest  and  the  welcome  which  wait  for 
him  in  his  happy  home.  The  Christian  traveller,  as 
evening  is  closing  in  around  him,  and  the  objects 

*  Heb.  xiii.  5.  t  Isa.  xli.  10. 


THE  REVIEW  OF  LIFE.    •  25 

of  earth  are  fading  from  his  gaze,  loves  to  let  his 
imagination  dwell  upon  the  many  mansions  in  his 
Father's  house,  where  a  place  is  being  prepared  for 
him. 

"A  little  while,  and  every  fear, 

That  o'er  the  perfect  day 
Flings  shadows  dark  and  drear, 

Shall  fade  like  mist  away ; 
The  secret  tear,  the  anxious  sigh, 

Shall  pass  into  a  smile ; 
Time  changes  to  eternity — 

We  only  wait  a  little  while." 

The  morning  of  joy  is  close  at  hand;  the  things 
which  are  not  seen  and  eternal  are  every  moment 
drawing  nearer  to  you;  the  promised  inheritance, 
incorruptible,  undefilecl,  and  never-fading,  will  soon 
be  actually  yours.  Meditate  on  the  glory  which 
shall  presently  be  revealed.  Consider  how  perfect 
in  its  nature,  and  how  perpetual  in  its  duration,  is 
the  happiness  which  God  has  provided  for  you  in  his 
everlasting  kingdom.  An  eminent  minister,  who 
was  spending  an  afternoon  with  some  Christian 
friends,  was  observed  to  be  unusually  silent.  On 
being  aroused  from  his  reverie  by  a  question  which 
was  addressed  to  him,  he.  said  that  he  had  been 
absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  eternal  happiness. 
"Oh,  my  friends!"  he  exclaimed,  with   an  energy 


26  NEAEING  HOME. 

which  arrested  the  attention  of  all  present,  "thin* 
what  it  is  to  be  for  ever  with  the  Lord ;  for  ever,  for 
ever,  for  ever  I" 

But  is  the  prospect  of  heaven  thus  attractive  to 
you  ?  Have  you  any  true  sympathy  with  its  joys, 
any  congeniality  of  spirit  with  its  bright  inhab- 
itants ?  You  of  course  hope,  when  you  die,  to  go  to 
heaven  ;  the  most  thoughtless  and  worldly-minded 
characters  hope  that,  not  because  they  aspire  after 
more,  intimate  communion  with  God  and  closer  con- 
formity to  his  image,  but  because  they  associate  the 
idea  of  happiness  with  heaven ;  and  it  is  the  in- 
stinctive desire  of  their  nature  to  wish  to  be  happy. 
But  unless  we  are  made  meet  for  the  inheritance  of 
the  saints  in  light,  the  enjoyments  of  heaven,  were 
we  allowed  to  be  there,  would  be  positively  distaste- 
ful to  us.  The  unjust  and  the  unholy  would  be 
unjust  and  unholy  still,  and  in  a  world  of  perfect 
truth  and  purity  would  find  no  source  of  satisfaction. 
A  clergyman  was  conversing  with  an  intelligent 
woman  in  his  parish,  who  was  ill  and  dying.  After 
he  had  ceased  talking  to  her,  she  said  with  an  ex- 
pression of  much  distaste,  "  If  heaven  be  such  a 
place  as  you  describe,  I  have  no  wish  to  go  there." 
Such  an  avowal  may  seem  unnatural,  but  it  would 
be  the  confession  of  every  un sanctified  heart,  if  men 


THE  REVIEW  OF  LIFE.  27 

seriously  considered  the  character  of  celestial  happi- 
ness. The  songs  of  the  redeemed  cannot  change  the 
heart,  nor  the  glory  of  the  heavenly  city  transform 
the  spirit.  What  fellowship  can  light  have  with 
darkness  ? 

Aged  reader,  rest  not  satisfied  with  anything  short 
of  a  true  preparation  for  everlasting  bliss.  It  is  easy 
to  bear  the  name  of  Christian.  But  without  "  holi- 
ness" no  man  shall  see  the  Lord.*  "  Except  a  man 
be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  Grod."f 

How  shall  you  attain  this  preparation  ?  By  sim- 
ple faith  in  Christ,  by  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
External  acts  of  devotion,  alms-giving,  self-denial, 
or  large  charitable  bequests,  cannot  purchase  your 
passport  for .  heaven.  The  righteousness  of  God, 
which  is  unto  all  and  upon  all  them  that  believe, 
and  the  sanctification  of  the  heart  which  is  effected 
by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  must  be  yours  be- 
fore you  can  enter  into  everlasting  glory.  And  they 
may  be  yours — yours  now.  Put  your  trust  in  that 
Saviour  who  has  declared  he  will  in  no  wise  cast  out 
those  who  come  to  him ;  and  seek  for  the  gift  of  that 
Holy  Spirit  which  is  promised  to  all  who  earnestly 
and  perseveringly  ask  for  it;  and  you  shall  have 
everlasting  life. 

*  Heb.  xii.  14.  t  John  iii.  3. 


28  NEAEING  HOME. 

But  it  is  possible  that  some  humble-minded  and 
timid  Christian  hesitates,  from  a  fear  of  being  pre- 
sumptuous and  self-deceived,  to  appropriate  those 
joys  which  are  at  God's  right  hand.  Gladly  would 
you  anticipate  the  moment  of  your  departure  hence, 
could  you  be  sure  that  an  abundant  entrance  would 
be  ministered  unto  you  into  Christ's  kingdom.  But 
although  you  cling  to  the  Saviour  as  your  only  hope 
of  salvation,  and  are  anxiously  striving  to  bring 
forth  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  you  cannot  rise  to  that 
happy  confidence  which  many  Christians  feel  in  the 
prospect  of  eternity.  You  cannot  echo  their  peace- 
ful and  unwavering  declaration,  "  We  know  that  if 
our  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  were  dissolved, 
we  have  a  building  of  God,  an  house  not  made  with 
hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens."*  You  are  like  the 
pilgrims  on  the  Delectable  Mountains,  whose  hands 
shook  so  that  they  could  not  look  steadily  through 
the  perspective-glass  at  the  gate  of  the  celestial 
city. 

Yet,  fear  not !  it  is  your  Father's  good  pleasure  to 
give  you  the  kingdom;  the  promised  possession  is 
secured  to  you,  although  you  are  unable  to  realize 
your  interest  in  it.  It  is  both  your  privilege  and 
your  duty  to  seek  earnestly  the  "assurance  of  hope;" 

*  2  Cor.  v.  1. 


THE  REVIEW  OF  LIFE.  29 

but  remember,  for  your  consolation  and  encourage- 
ment, that  the  weakest  believer  in  Christ  is  as  safe 
as  the  most  rejoicing  Christian.  Keep  your  eye 
fixed  upon  your  Saviour;  strive  to  follow  in  his 
steps ;  use  with  constancy  and  diligence  the  means 
of  grace  which  he  has  provided;  and  you  shall 
eventually  attain  to  that  perfect  peace  which  casteth 
out  fear.     "At  evening  time  it  shall  be  light.'7* 

Happy  are  those  whose  hope  is  clear,  whose  faith 
is  strong,  and  who,  in  the  consciousness  that  the 
time  of  their  departure  is  at  hand,  can  look  to  the 
past  and  to  the  future,  and  meekly  but  confidently 
affirm  with  "  Paul  the  aged,"  "  I  have  fought  a  good 
fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the 
faith ;  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of 
righteousness. "f  Joyful  assurance!  Bright  antici- 
pation !  Well  may  such  aged  believers  have  an 
ardent  desire  to  depart,  and  to  be  with  Christ ;  well 
may  they  long  for  that  rapidly  approaching  hour 
when  he  shall  present  them  faultless  before  the 
presence  of  their  God  with  exceeding  joy. 

The  evening  of  life!  Evening  is  the  time  for 
prayer.  Then  the  lisping  babe  folds  its  little  hands 
and  utters  its  simple  words  of  supplication  and 
thanksgiving ;  then  the  pious  family  assemble  round 

*  Zech.  xiv.  7.  t  2  Tim.  iv.  6. 


30  NEABING  HOME. 

the  domestic  altar;  then  the  thoughtful  Christian 
retires  into  his  closet,  shuts  his  door,  and  prays  to 
his  Father  who  seeth  in  secret.  The  comparative 
quietude  which  exists  in  the  world  around  him,  and 
the  repose  which  spreads  itself  over  the  face  of 
nature,  seem  to  soothe  the  spirit  of  the  wearied  be- 
liever, and  to  invite  him  to  calm  and  hallowed  inter- 
course with  his  Maker. 

And  should  not  life's  evening  thus  tranquillize 
and. elevate  his  feelings?  Private  prayer,  the  de- 
light and  duty  of  all  who  have  been  taught  of  God, 
is  an  employment  peculiarly  appropriate  to  the  aged 
Christian.  Compelled  to  relinquish  the  active  occu- 
pations of  former  clays,  unable  to  read  much  even 
of  the  best  of  books,  and  frequently  deprived,  per- 
haps, of  the  long- valued  ministrations  of  the  sanc- 
tuary, how  thankfully  does  he  retain  the  inestimable 
privilege  of  pouring  out  his  heart  in  secret  before 
God,  and  in  holding  sweet  converse  with  his  heavenly 
Father!  "I  can  very  seldom  talk  or  read  now," 
said  a  venerable  servant  of  God,  whose  days  were 
almost  numbered;  "but,"  he  added,  as  a  happy  smile 
lighted  up  his  withered  features,  "I  can  pray.  In 
my  weakest  moments,  without  opening  my  lips,  I 
can  make  known  my  requests  unto  God,  and  praise 
him  for  his  never-changing  goodness  towards  me." 


THE  REVIEW  OF  LIFE.  31 

Let  the  evening  of  your  life  be  much  devoted  to 
prayer;  for  at  the  close,  no  less  than  at  the  com- 
mencement of  your  Christian  experience,  you  are 
entirely  dependent  upon  Almighty  succour.  Go 
therefore  with  boldness  to  the  throne  of  grace,  that 
you  may  still  obtain  mercy,  and  find  grace  to  help 
you  in  every  time  of  need  *  Old  age  has  its  especial 
wants  and  trials ;  but,  "Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given 
you,"f  is  the  inscription  which  is  ever  written  over 
the  mercy-seat.  Implore  that  strength  which  you 
require  in  order  that  you  may  cheerfully  bear  God's 
will  now ;  that  support  which  you  will  need  in  the 
hour  of  death,  when  heart  and  flesh  shall  fail ;  that 
consolation  and  guidance  which  you  desire  to  have 
imparted  to  those  whom  you  must  leave  behind  in  a 
world  of  grief  and  danger.  He  who  is  able  to  do 
exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that  you  can  ask  or 
think,  will  hear  and  answer  your  feeble  but  heart- 
felt petitions. 

The  evening  of  life !  Have  these  words  a  melan- 
choly sound  ?  They  tell,  it  is  true,  that  the  bright 
sunshine  of  youth  and  manhood  is  past;  that  the 
health  and  the  energy  which  impelled  our  steps  in 
the  path  of  usefulness  and  renown  have  departed; 
that  the  night  of  death  will  soon  gather  round  us, 

*  Heb.  iv.  16.  t  Matt.  vii.  7. 


32  NEAEINQ  HOME. 

when  we  must  close  our  eyes  upon  all  that  is  loved 
and  lovely  here. 

But  are  these  facts  unwelcome  to  the  Christian  ? 
Nay,  are  they  not  rather  the  incentives  of  his  hope 
and  his  joy?  Long  a  stranger  and  a  pilgrim  upon 
earth,  do  they  not  assure  him  that  he  is  now  on  the 
borders  of  that  country  which  he  has  so  earnestly 
been  seeking  ?  The  worldling  may  mourn  over  the 
flowers  which  have  withered  in  his  grasp,  but  the 
Christian  has  a  treasure  laid  up  in  heaven,  and  his 
heart  is  there  also.  The  orphan  spirit  may  shrink 
from  the  prospect  of  an  unknown  eternity ;  but  the 
child  of  God  cannot  but  rejoice  in  the  thought  of 
soon  going  home. 

The  evening  of  life!  Aged  Christian,  an  ever- 
lasting morning  will  soon  dawn  upon  your  redeemed 
and  perfected  spirit.  "Now  is  your  salvation  nearer 
than  when  you  believed."*  Mark  with  thankfulness 
the  shadows  of  evening  as  they  deepen  around  you, 
for  they  are  the  necessary  precursors  of  the  coming 
day/  Calmly  and  trustingly  as  an  infant  that  slum- 
bers on  its  mother's  bosom,  you  will  soon  "  sleep  in 
Jesus,"  to  awake  in  that  purer  and  happier  world, 
which  has  "  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon, 
to  shine  in  it ;  for  the  glory  of  God  doth  lighten  it, 

*  Roin.  xiii.  11. 


THE  REVIEW  OF  LIFE.  33 

and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof."*  "Absent  from 
the  body,"  you  will  at  once  be  "present  with  the 
Lord;"f  you  will  "behold  his  face  in  righteousness;" 
you  will  "be  satisfied,  when  you  awake,  with  his 
likeness."! 

*  Rev.  xxi.  23.  T  2  Cor.  v.  8.  %  Psa.  xvii.  15. 

6 


'be  ©lir  J^lts. 


ANONYMOUS. 


Ah  !  don't  be  sorrowful,  darling, 
And  don't  be  sorrowful,  pray ; 

Taking  the  year  together,  my  dear, 
There  isn't  more  night  than  day. 

'Tis  rainy  weather,  my  darling, 
Time's  waves,  they  heavily  run ; 

But  taking  the  year  together,  my  dear, 
There  isn't  more  cloud  than  sun. 

We  are  old  folks,  now,  my  darling, 
Our  heads  are  growing  gray ; 

But  taking  the  year  all  round,  my  dear, 
You  will  always  find  a  May. 

We  have  had  our  May,  my  darling, 

And  our  roses  long  ago ; 
And  the  time  of  the  year  is  coming 


For  the  silent  night  of  snow. 


84 


THE  OLD  FOLKS.  35, 

And  God  is  God,  my  darling, 

Of  night  as  well  as  day ; 
And  we  feel  and  know  that  we  can  go 

Wherever  he  leads  the  way. 

A  God  of  the  night,  my  darling, 

Of  the  night  of  death  so  grim; 
The  gate  that  leads  out  of  life,  good  wife, 

Is  the  gate  that  leads  to  Him. 


MARGARET  JUNKIN. 

The  calm,  full  day,  so  flushed  with  light, 
So  draped  in  placid  majesty, 
Has  sunk  beneath  the  mystic  sea 

That  shrouds  the  immortal  from  our  sight. 

We  revelled  in  its  affluent  rays, 

We  sunned  us  in  its  atmosphere ; 

We  drank  its  beauty — breathed  its  cheer, 

And  felt  its  bliss  a  thousand  ways. 

What  princely  flowers  filled  its  morn  ! 

What  rich  results  its  noontide  hours  ! 

How  nobly  its  unresting  powers 
Have  all  the  heat  and  burden  borne  ! 

Tis  well  that  kindly  night  should  come 
With  precious  silence  and  release : 
So  in  our  souls  we  whisper  "  peace" 

At  such  a  tranquil  sinking  home. 


NIGHTFALL.  •  37 

But  while  we  miss  the  golden  bars 

That  bounded  in  this  day  so  bright, 
We  look  aloft — and  lo !  the  night 

That  closes  round  us  throbs  with  stars  ! 


|ra%r,  ||  |ftt0to. 

MISS   A.    L.    WARING. 

Father,  I  know  that  all  my  life 

Is  portioned  out  by  thee, 
And  the  changes  that  will  surely  come 

I  do  not  fear  to  see ; 
But  I  ask  thee  for  a  quiet  mind, 

Intent  on  pleasing  thee. 

I  ask  thee  for  a  thankful  love, 
Through  constant  watchings  wise, 

To  meet  the  glad  with  cheerful  smile, 
And  to  wipe  the  weeping  eyes ; 

And  a  heart  at  leisure  from  itself 
To  soothe  and  sympathize. 

I  would  not  have  the  restless  will 

That  wanders  to  and  fro, 
Seeking  for  some  great  thing  to  do 

Or  secret  thing  to  know : 
I  would  be  dealt  with  as  a  child, 

Led,  guided  where  to  go. 


ss 


FATHER,  I  KNOW.  39 

Wherever  in  the  world  I  am, 

In  whatsoe'er  estate, 
I  have  a  fellowship  with  other  hearts 

To  keep  and  cultivate ; 
And  a  work  of  holy  love  to  do 

For  the  Lord  on  whom  I  wait. 

I  ask  thee  for  the  daily  strength 

To  none  that  ask  denied, 
And  a  mind  to  blend  with  outward  life 

While  keeping  at  thy  side — 
Content  to  fill  a  little  space, 

So  thou  be  glorified ! 

And  if  some  things  I  do  not  ask 

In  my  cup  of  blessing  be, 
I  would  have  my  spirit  filled  the  more 

With  gratitude  to  thee. 
More  careful  than  to  serve  thee  much, 

To  serve  thee  perfectly. 

There  are  thorns  besetting  every  path, 

That  call  for  patient  care ; 
There  is  a  crook  in  every  lot, 

And  a  need  for  earnest  prayer ; 
But  a  lowly  heart  that  leans  on  thee 

Is  happy  everywhere. 


40  NEARING  HOME. 

In  a  service  that  thy  love  appoints 
There  are  no  bonds  for  me ; 

For  my  secret  heart  is  taught  the  truth 
That  makes  thy  children  free ; 

And  a  life  of  self-renouncing  love 
Is  a  life  of  liberty. 


fflnt  ww  life. 

HORATIUS   BONAR,    D.  D. 

'Tis  not  for  man  to  trifle !  life  is  brief; 

And  sin  is  here. 
Our  age  is  but  the  falling  of  a  leaf, 

A  dropping  tear. 
We  have  no  time  to  sport  away  the  hours ; 
All  must  be  earnest  in  a  world  like  ours. 

Not  many  lives,  but  only  one  have  we — 

One,  only  one : 
How  sacred  should  that  one  life  ever  be — 

That  narrow  span ! 
Day  after  day  filled  up  with  blessed  toil — 
Hour  after  hour  still  bringing  in  new  spoil. 

Our  being  is  no  shadow  of  thin  air — 

No  vacant  dream — 
No  fable  of  the  things  that  never  were, 

But  only  seem ; 
'Tis  full  of  meaning  as  of  mystery, 
Though  strange  and  solemn  may  that  meaning  be. 

6  41 


42  NEAEING  HOME. 

Our  sorrows  are  no  phantom  of  the  night — 

No  idle  tale ; 
No  cloud  that  floats  along  a  sky  of  light, 

On  summer  gale ; 
They  are  the  true  realities  of  earth ; 
Friends  and  companions  even  from  our  birth 

0  life  below — how  brief,  and  poor,  and  sad ! 

One  heavy  sigh. 
0  life  above — how  long,  how  fair,  and  glad ! 

An  endless  joy. 
Oh,  to  be  done  with  daily  dying  here ! 
Oh,  to  begin  the  living  in  yon  sphere ! 

0  day  of  time,  how  dark !  0  sky  and  earth, 

How  dull  your  hue ! 
0  day  of  Christ,  how  bright !     0  sky  and  earth, 

Made  fair  and  new ! 
Come,  better  Eden,  with  thy  fresher  green ; 
Come,  brighter  Salem,  gladden  all  the  scene ! 


ItttOSfttt 


MARTIN    F.   TUPPER, 


How  many  years  are  fled ! 

How  many  friends  are  dead ! 
Alas !  how  fast 
The  past  hath  passed ! 

How  speedily  life  hath  sped ! 

Places  that  knew  me  of  yore 
Know  me  for  theirs  no  more ; 
And  sore  at  the  change, 
Quite  strange  I  range 
Where  I  was  at  home  before. 

Thoughts  and  things,  each  day, 
Seem  to  be  fading  away ; 

Yet  this  is,  I  wot, 

Their  lot  to  be  not 
Continuing  in  one  stay. 

A  mingled  mesh  it  seems 
Of  facts  and  fancy's  gleams  ; 


43 


44  FEARING  HOME. 

I  scarce  have  power, 
From  hour  to  hour, 
To  separate  things  from  dreams. 

Darkly,  as  in  a  glass, 
Like  a  vain  shadow  they  pass ; 
Their  ways  they  wend 
And  tend  to  an  end — 
The  goal  of  life,  alas ! 

Alas  !  and  wherefore  so  ? 

Be  glad  for  this  passing  show ; 
The  world  and  its  lust 
Back  must  to  their  dust, 

Before  the  soul  can  grow. 

Expand,  my  willing  mind, 
Thy  nobler  life  to  find ; 

Thy  childhood  leave ; 

Nor  grieve  to  bereave 
1  hine  age  of  toys  behind. 


Mtflcttions  on  §|lir  lyj*. 

ARCHIBALD    ALEXANDER,    D.    D. 

The  autumn  of  our  life  has  actually  arrived.  The 
scenes  of  our  youth  have  fled  for  ever ;  and  the  feel- 
ings and  hopes  of  that  period  have  passed  away  also, 
or  are  greatly  changed.  When  we  take  a  retrospect 
of  the  past,  several  weighty  reflections  cannot  but 
press  upon  our  minds  and  sadden  our  hearts.  How 
true  do  we  now  find  that  trite  remark,  that  the  long- 
est life  in  the  retrospect  appears  exceedingly  short, 
though  in  prospect  the  same  period  appeared  almost 
interminable !  Old  age  has  come  upon  us  (though 
its  approaches  were  very  gradual)  by  surprise ;  and 
even  now,  except  when  feeling  something  of  the  in- 
firmities of  age,  or  when  viewing  our  altered  image  in 
the  mirror,  we  are  prone  to  forget  that  we  are  old ; 
and  often  are  impelled  to  undertake  labours  to  which 
our  strength  is  no  longer  competent.  Truly  our  life  of 
three-score,  or  more,  appears  like  a  dream  when  we 

awake  from  sleep.     And  as  the  past  years  have  passed 

45 


46  NEARING  HOME. 

so  quickly,  the  few  that  remain  will  not  be  less  rapid 
in  their  flight.  Indeed,  to  the  aged,  except  when  they 
are  suffering  protracted  pain,  time  appears  shorter 
than  it  did  when  they  were  young.  Thus  at  least  it 
seems  to  the  writer ;  the  year,  when  its  days  and 
weeks  and  months  are  numbered,  is  as  long  as  ever, 
but  to  our  sense  it  seems  to  grow  shorter.  We  are 
less  absorbed  and  interested  in  passing  scenes  than 
the  young.  Life  has  with  us  become  a  sober  reality. 
The  enchanting  visions  of  a  youthful  imagination  have 
now  entirely  vanished.  But  it  brings  a  solemn  and 
tenderly  melancholy  feeling  over  the  minds  of  the 
aged  to  inquire  for  the  friends  and  companions  of 
their  youth.  How  few  of  these  can  we  now  find  upon 
earth !  The  ministers  whose  labours  were  made  useful 
to  us,  and  the  very  sound  of  whose  voice  was  sweeter 
than  the  richest  music,  are  now  lying  beneath  the 
clods  of  the  valley.  The  beloved  friends  with  whom 
we  were  wont  to  take  sweet  counsel,  and  to  whom  we 
could  confidingly  open  our  whole  hearts,  have  been 
torn  from  our  side.  Many  dear  relatives,  loved  it 
may  be  as  our  own  life,  have  slept  the  sleep  of  death. 
Time  may  have  healed  the  painful  wounds  made  by 
such  bereavements,  but  their  loss  often  leaves  a  chasm 
which  can  never  be  supplied,  and,  at  any  rate,  a  scar 
which  we  shall  carry  to  the  grave.     There  is  one  re- 


REFLECTIONS  ON  OLD  AGE.  47 

flection  connected  with  this  subject  still  more  sad ;  it 
is,  that  some  in  whom  we  once  delighted,  and  in  whom 
we  reposed  strong  confidence,  have  turned  aside  from 
the  ways  of  truth  and  righteousness  in  which  they 
appeared  to  be  walking,  and,  though  they  may  be  still 
walking  up  and  clown  upon  the  earth,  are  dead  to  us 
and  to  all  those  interests  which  once  seemed  to  be 
common  to  them  and  us.  And  as  to  those  who  re- 
main steadfast,  and  have  continued  their  pilgrimage 
without  turning  aside  into  crooked  ways,  what  a  sad 
change  has  time  made  upon  their  persons !  Where 
is  the  bloom  of  youth,  the  robust  strength  of  man- 
hood, the  eye  sparkling  with  intelligence,  and  the 
countenance  beaming  with  animation  ?  Alas !  they 
are  fled  ;  and  in  their  place  we  see  the  decrepid  body, 
the  sunken  eye,  the  withered  countenance,  and  the 
tottering  gait.  All  are  not  equally  changed  by  the 
ravages  of  time.  Indeed,  to  some  the  access  of  gray 
hairs  and  old  age  brings  an  addition  of  comeliness. 
There  is  something  peculiarly  lovely,  as  well  as  vene- 
rable, in  the  silvery  locks  and  placid  countenance  of 
a  good  old  man.  There  is  in  his  countenance  a  chas- 
tened expression  of  benignity  and  sobriety  which  long 
experience  alone  can  produce. 

But  the  bitterest  of  all  reflections  to  the  aged  is  that 
of  sins  committed,  duties  omitted,  time  wasted,  and 


48  NEABING  ROME. 

opportunities  of  doing  good  neglected.  Reflections  of 
this  kind,  at  certain  times,  become  insufferably  pain- 
ful. And  although  we  could  not  wish  to  go  a  second 
time  through  such  a  pilgrimage,  yet  we  cannot  but 
wish  often  that  with  our  present  views,  and  with  the 
aids  of  experience,  we  could  enjoy  again  the  oppor- 
tunities of  usefulness  which  were  suffered  to  pass 
without  improvement.  But  even  in  these  painful  re- 
grets and  this  bitter  repentance  our  deceitful  hearts 
often  impose  upon  us,  and  we  give  ourselves  more 
credit  for  present  good  feelings  than  we  deserve.  For 
let  us  only  ask  ourselves,  whether  we  now  avail  our- 
selves of  all  the  advantages  of  our  situation  to  do  good. 
Are  we  not  now  guilty  of  as  gross  neglects  as  when 
younger  ?  The  probability  is,  therefore — yea,  the  cer- 
tainty—that if  left  to  ourselves  as  much  as  we  were, 
we  should  do  no  better  if  we  were  permitted  to  live 
over  our  unprofitable  lives  a  second  time. 

But  while  we  should  lay  aside  all  fruitless  wishes, 
we  ought  certainly  to  reflect  upon  our  sins  and  short- 
comings, until  our  godly  sorrow  is  so  enkindled 
within  us  as  to  work  a  repentance  not  to  be  repented 
of.  We  cannot  atone  for  our  sins  by  tears  of  peni- 
tence; for  this  we  must  have  recourse  to  another 
fountain,  even  the  blood  of  Christ,  which  cleanseth 
from  all  unrighteousness ;  but  the  flow  of  ingenuous, 


REFLECTIONS  ON  OLD  AGE.  49 

godly  sorrow  has  a  tendency  to  soften  and  purify  the 
heart,  and  our  iniquities  are  rendered  by  this  means 
odious ;  so  that  while  we  are  penetrated  with  un- 
feigned gratitude  to  God  for  pardoning  mercy,  we 
are  rendered  more  wTatchful  against  our  besetting- 
sins,  and  made  to  walk  more  tenderly  and  circum- 
spectly, and  more  humbly  too ;  for  I  have  thought, 
that  the  reason  why  a  covenant-keeping  God  some- 
times permits  his  children  to  fall  into  shameful  acts 
of  transgression  is  because  nothing  else  but  such  a 
sight  of  themselves  as  these  falls  exhibit  would  suf- 
ficiently humble  their  proud  hearts.  The  recollection 
of  such  sins  serves  all  their  life  long  to  convince 
them  that  they  ought  to  place  themselves  among  the 
"chief  of  sinners"  and  "the  least  of  saints."  And 
this  view  of  our  exceeding  depravity  of  heart  serves 
to  show  ns  the  faithfulness  and  loving-kindness  of 
God  in  the  strongest  light.  According  to  that  which 
he  speaks  in  Ezek.  xvi.  62,  63,  "And  I  will  estab- 
lish my  covenant  with  thee;  and  thou  shalt  know 
that  I  am  the  Lord;  that  thou  mayest  remember, 
and  be  confounded,  and  never  open  thy  mouth  any 
more  because  of  thy  shame,  when  I  am  pacified 
toward  thee  for  all  that  thou  hast  done,  saith  the 
Lord  God." 

My  aged  friends,  permit  me  to  counsel  you  not  to 

7 


50  NEARING  HOME. 

give  way  to  despondency  and  unprofitable  repining 
at  the  course  of  past  events.  Trust  in  the  Lord,  and 
encourage  your  hearts  to  hope  in  his  mercy  and  faith- 
fulness. Your  afflictions  may  have  been  many  and 
e,  and  your  present  circumstances  may  be  embar- 
rassing, and  your  prospects  for  the  future  gloomy. 
Providence  may  seem  to  have  set  you  up  as  a  mark 
for  the  arrows  of  adversity.  Stroke  upon  stroke  has 
been  experienced.  Billow  after  billow  has  gone  over 
yoir,  and  almost  overwhelmed  you.  Truly  the  time 
has  come  when  you  can  say,  "My  joys  are  gone." 
But  though  friends  have  been  snatched  from  you  or 
have  proved  unfaithful ;  though  children,  once  your 
hope  and  joy,  are  numbered  with  the  dead,  or  what  is 
far  worse,  profligate  or  ungrateful ;  though  your 
property  has  wasted  away,  or  your  riches  suddenly 
taken  wings  and  flown  like  the  eagle  to  heaven ; 
though  bodily  diseases  and  pain  distress  you, — still 
trust  in  the  divine  promise,  "  I  will  never  leave  thee, 
forsake  thee."  Though  friends  die,  God  for  ever 
livetli.  Though  your  earthly  comforts  and  supports 
are  gone,  you  are  heir  to  an  inheritance  "incorrupt- 
ible, and  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away." 
Take  for  your  example  the  prophet  Habakkuk,  who 
triumphantly  declares,  "Although  the  fig  tree  shall 
not  blossom,  neither  shall  fruit  be  in  the  vines;  the 


REFLECTIONS  ON  OLD  AGE,  51 

labour  of  the  olive  shall  fail,  and  the  fields  shall 
yield  no  meat;  the  flock  shall  be  cut  off  from  the 
fold,  and  there  shall  be  no  herd  in  the  stalls ;  yet  I 
will  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my 
salfation."  Learn  to  live  by  faith:  no  class  of  peo- 
ple need  the  supports  of  faith  and  hope  more  than 
the  aged.  And  not  only  believe,  but  act.  "  Work 
while  it  is  called  to-day."  "To  do  good,  and  com- 
municate, forget  not,  for  with  such  sacrifices  God  is 
well  pleased."  Your  work  is  never  ended  while  you 
are  in  the  body.  It  is  a  sad  mistake  for  aged  persons 
to  relinquish  their  usual  pursuits  and  resign  every- 
thing into  the  hands  of  their  children.  Many  have 
dated  their  distressing  melancholy  from  such  a  false 
step.  The  mind  long  accustomed  to  activity  is  mis- 
erable in  a  state  of  stagnation ;  or  rather,  having  lost 
its  usual  nutriment,  it  turns  and  preys  upon  itself. 
Lighten  your  burdens,  but  do  not  give  up  business, 
or  study,  or  whatever  you  have  been  accustomed  to 
pursue.  Imbecility  and  dotage  are  also  prevented, 
or  postponed,  or  mitigated,  by  constant  exercise  of 
the  mind. 

Keep  also  as  much  of  your  property,  if  you  have 
any,  in  your  own  hand  as  is  necessary  for  your  own 
support,  and  make  not  yourselves  dependent  on  the 
most  affectionate  and  obedient  children.     They  will 


52  NEARIXG  HOME. 

be  more  affectionate  and  more  respectful  when  you 
are  not  dependent. 

Dismiss  corroding  cares  and  anxieties  about  what 
you  shall  do  to  get  a  living.  How  strange  it  is  that 
the  nearer  men  come  to  the  end  of  their  journey, 
the  greater  concern  they  feel  as  to  the  means  of 
future  subsistence  !  God's  hand  will  provide.  His 
command  to  us  is,  "  Be  careful  for  nothing ;  but  in 
every  thing  by  prayer  and  supplication  with  thanks- 
giving let  your  requests  be  made  known  unto  God." 

"And  the  peace  of  God,  which  passeth  all  under- 
standing, shall  keep  your  hearts  and  minds  through 
Christ  Jesus." 


^ristiatt  §raxts  for  i\t  j|gei>. 


ANONYMOUS. 


Be  patient — life  is  very  brief, 

It  passes  quickly  by ; 
And  if  it  proves  a  troubled  scene 

Beneath  a  stormy  sky, 
It  is  but  like  the  shaded  night 
That  brings  a  morn  of  radiaftce  bright. 

Be  hopeful — cheerful  faith  will  bring 

A  living  joy  to  thee, 
And  make  thy  life  a  hymn  of  praise, 

From  doubt  and  murmur  free ; 
Whilst  like  a  sunbeam  thou  wilt  bless, 
And  bring  to  others  happiness ! 

Be  earnest — an  immortal  soul 

Should  be  a  worker  true; 
Employ  thy  talents  for  thy  God, 

And  ever  keep  in  view 
The  judgment  scene,  the  last  great  day, 
When  heaven  and  earth  will  pass  away. 


63 


54  NEARING  HOME. 

Be  holy — let  not  sin's  dark  stain 

Thy  spirit's  whiteness  dim — 
Keep  close  to  Jesus  'mid  the  world, 

And  trust  alone  in  him ; 
So,  midst  thy  business  and  thy  rest, 
Thou  shalt  be  comforted  and  blest. 

Be  prayerful — ask,  and  thou  shalt  have 

Strength  equal  to  thy  day ; 
m  Prayer  clasps  the  Hand  that  guides  the  world 

Oh,  make  it  then  thy  stay ! 
Ask  largely,  and  thy  God  will  be 
A  kindly  Giver  unto  thee ! 

.    Be  ready — many  fall  around, 

Our  loved  ones  disappear  ; 
We  know  not  when  our  call  may  come, 

Nor  should  we  wait  in  fear ; 
If  ready,  we  can  calmly  rest ; 
Living  or  dying,  we  are  blest. 


§5riirges. 

A.    D.    F.    RANDOLPH. 
I. 

A  bkidge  within  my  heart, 

Known  as  the  "  Bridge  of  Sighs," 

That  stretches  from  life's  sunny  part 
To  where  its  darkness  lies. 

And  when  upon  this  bridge  I  stand, 

To  watch  the  tides  below, 
How  spread  the  shadows  on  the  land  ! 

How  dark  the  waters  grow ! 

Then  as  they  wind  their  way  along 

To  sorrow's  bitter  sea, 
How  mournful  is  the  spirit- song 

That  upward  floats  to  me, — 

A  song  that  breathes  of  blessings  dead, 

Of  joys  no  longer  known, 
And  pleasures  gone  ; — their  distant  tread 


Now  to  an  echo  grown. 


55 


56  NEARING  HOME. 

And  hearing  thus,  beleaguering  fears 
Soon  shut  the  present  out ; 

The  good  but  in  the  past  appears, 
The  future  full  of  doubt. 

Oh,  often  then  doth  deeper  grow 
The  night  that  round  me  lies  ; 

I  would  that  life  had  run  its  flow, 
Or  never  found  its  rise. 


II. 

A  Bridge  within  my  heart, 

Known  as  the  Bridge  of  Faith ; 

It  spans  by  a  mysterious  art 
The  streams  of  life  and  death. 

And  when  upon  this  bridge  I  stand, 
To  watch  the  tides  below, 

How  glorious  looks  the  sunny  land ! 
How  clear  the  waters  flow ! 

Then  as  they  wind  their  way  along, 

And  to  a  distant  sea, 
I  listen  to  the  angel-song 

That  sweetly  floats  to  me, — 


BRIDGES.  57 

A  song  of  blessings  never  sere, 

Of  love  beyond  compare ; 
And  life  so  vexed  and  troublous  here, 

So  calm  and  perfect  there. 

And  hearing  thus,  a  peace  divine 

Soon  shuts  each  sorrow  out, 
And  all  is  hopeful  and  benign 

Where  all  was  fear  and  doubt. 

Oh,  ever  then  will  brighter  grow 

The  light  that  round  me  lies ; 
I  see  from  life's  beclouded  flow 

A  crystal  stream  arise  I 


jtth  Mkih. 


GREVILLE. 


A  little  while,  and  every  fear 

That  o'er  the  perfect  day 
Flings  shadows  dark  and  drear, 

Shall  pass  like  mist  away ; 
The  secret  tear,  the  anxious  sigh, 

Shall  pass  into  a  smile ; 
Time  changes  to  eternity, — 

We  only  wait  a  little  while. 

A  little  while,  and  every  charm 

That  steals  away  the  heart, 
And  earthly  joys  that  warm 

And  lure  us  from  our  part, 
Shall  cease  our  heavenly  views  to  dim ; 

The  world  shall  not  beguile 
Our  ever-faithful  thoughts  from  Him 

Who  bade  us  wait  a  little  while. 

A  little  while,  and  all  around, 
The  earth,  and  sea,  and  sky, 


59 


A   LITTLE   WHILE.  59 

The  sunny  light  and  sound 

Of  nature's  minstrelsy, 
Shall  be  as  they  had  never  been, 

And  we,  so  weak  and  vile, 
Be  creatures  of  a  brighter  scene, — 

We  only  wait  a  little  while. 


JOHN    M.  LOWRIE,   D.  D. 

'  Nothing  but  leaves  ;"  so  the  Saviour  said, 

And  then  he  blasted  the  fruitless  tree ; 
And  I  ponder  his  curse  with  trembling  dread, 
"  Lest  just  such  a  word  he  might  speak  of  me : 
I  have  known  his  name  from  my  early  youth, 

And  my  outward  homage  his  cause  receives ; 
Yet  his  judgment  upon  my  life  in  truth 

Might  render  the  verdict,  "  Nothing  but  leaves." 

"  Nothing  but  leaves,"  though  the  ground  was  choice; 

In  the  Lord's  own  garden  the  tree  was  set ; 
And  loving  parents  by  life  and  voice 

Gave  cheerful  care  to  nurture  it ;  yet, 
Though  of  rapid  growth  and  comely  form, 

No  answering  fruit  their  toil  retrieves  ; 
The  blossoms  fell  off  in  the  first  spring  storm, 

And  autumn  found  on  it  "  nothing  but  leaves." 

"  Nothing  but  leaves ;"  yet  the  church  of  God 
Wide  open  her  doors  every  Sabbath  threw ; 

0) 


THE  FRUITLESS   TREE.  61 

And  faithful  preachers  proclaimed  aloud 
His  fearful  wrath  and  his  mercy  too ; 

And  the  showers  of  grace,  as  dew,  came  down, 
And  the  Spirit  called  who  never  deceives ; 

How  many  the  blessings  my  life  has  known ! 
And  still  my  returns  are  "  nothing  but  leaves." 

"  Nothing  but  leaves  ;"  yet  I  might  have  won 

More  hearts  than  my  own  to  taste  his  grace ; 
But  the  world's  gay  rounds  my  feet  have  run, 

Ever  prone  to  the  broad  and  downward  ways ; 
Had  I  entered  with  zeal  his  harvest  field, 

And  now  filled  my  arms  with  gathered  sheaves, 
What  happy  reflections  my  life  would  yield  ! 

How  fearful  the  contrast,  "  Nothing  but  leaves!" 

"  Nothing  but  leaves ;"  though  it  has  been  so, 

Yet  a  remnant  still  of  life  remains ; 
Great  Grod,  thy  renewing  mercy  show — 

I  plead  by  the  dying  Saviour's  pains ! 
May  my  zeal  be  warm,  may  my  life  be  new, 

While  every  power  of  heart  believes, 
And  holy  influences  ever  show, 

That  I  give  no  longer  "  nothing  but  leaves." 


ftctnoan. 


MARGARET   JUNKIN. 


You  say  the  years  have  sadder  grown 
Beneath  their  weight  of  care  and  duty, 

That  all  the  festive  grace  has  flown, 

That  wreathed  and  crowned  their  earlier  beauty. 

You  tell  me  Hope  no  more  can  daze 
Your  vision  with  her  bland  delusions, 

Nor  Fancy,  versed  in  subtle  ways, 
Seduce  you  to  her  gay  conclusions. 

The  rapturous  throb,  the  bound,  the  flush, 
That  made  all  life  one  strong  sensation, 

Grow  quiet  now,  beneath  the  hush 
Of  time's  profounder  revelation. 

You  have  it  still — the  inviolate  past, 
So  pure,  so  free  from  gloss  and  glitter : 

The  wine  runs  limpid  to  the  last — 
No  dregs  to  dash  its  beads  with  bitter. 

62 


AFTERNOON.  63 

Vixi : — thus  looking  back  you  write ; 

The  best  that  life  can  give,  you've  tasted; 
And  drop  by  drop,  translucent,  bright, 

You've  sipped  and  drained — not  one  is  wasted. 

'Tis  not  in  retrospect  your  eye 

Alone  sees  pathways  pranked  with  flowers ; 
You  knew  the  while  the  hours  flew  by, 

They  were  supremely  blissful  hours. 

The  sun  slopes  slowly  westering  still, 
Behind  you  now  your  shadow  lengthens; 

And  in  the  vale  beneath  the  hill 

The  evening's  growing  purple  strengthens. 

The  morning  mists  that  swam  your  eye 
Made  large  and  luminous  life's  ideal : 

Now,  cut  against  your  clearer  sky, 
You  comprehend  the  true — the  real. 

Time  still  has  joys  that  do  not  pall, 
Love  still  has  hours  serene  and  tender : 

'Tis  afternoon,  dear, — that  is  all ! 

And  this  is  afternoon's  calm  splendour. 

God  grant  your  cloudless  orb  may  run 

Long,  golden  cycles  ere  we  sever ; 
Or,  like  the  Northern  midnight  sun, 

Circle  with  light  my  heart  for  ever ! 


||li>  Jyje  Jtttiinpaitir. 

REV.   REUBEN    SMITH. 

You  are  now  descending  into  the  valley  of  declin- 
ing years.  That  valley,  we  are  persuaded,  need  not 
be  dark  if  you  but  carry  into  it  the  lamp  of  true 
wisdom.  To  meet  it  aright  requires  reflection  and 
experience.  There  is  what  may  properly  be  called, 
perhaps,  the  art  of  growing  old.  But  where  shall  it 
be  found  ?  or  what  are  those  precepts  and  appropriate 
considerations  and  practices  by  which  we  may  sus- 
tain and  comfort  ourselves  when  found  falling  "  into 
the  sear  and  yellow  leaf"  of  our  earthly  existence? 
To  answer  these  questions  is  the  design  of  the  pres- 
ent undertaking. 

Cicero,  the  heathen  philosopher,  has  written  some- 
thing on  this  subject ;  nor  do  we  think  that  his  beau- 
tiful thoughts,  so  far  as  they  go,  are  to  be  despised  or 
wholly  neglected.  According  to  him,  the  different 
sources  of  molestation  in  old  age  are  these  four :  1. 
Our  necessary  withdrawing  from    the   more   active 

fi4 


OLD  AGE  ANTICIPATED.  65 

pursuits  of  life.  But  he  tells  us  there  are  other  em- 
ployments more  appropriate  to  this  condition ;  and 
these  are  specified  and  recommended.  Then  comes, 
2.  The  loss  of  our  voluptuary  enjoyments ;  but  these 
were  never  worthy  of  man,  and  their  loss  cannot  be 
an  annoyance  when  they  are  no  more  desired.  3.  The 
failure  of  our  mental  faculties  comes  next,  but  this 
is  not  necessarily  or  universally  true.  Even  memory 
need  not  essentially  fail  in  old  age,  when  it  is  culti- 
vated ;  and  he  adduces  many  examples  to  show  that 
it  may  still  be  strong.  4.  But  the  most  formidable 
of  all  the  evils  of  old  age  is,  in  that  it  compels  us  to 
contemplate  a  near  approaching  death;  and  it  is  in- 
structive to  observe  here  by  what  an  unsatisfying 
train  of  thoughts  heathen  philosophy  attempts  to 
meet  this  want.  The  argument  of  the  aged  Cato  is 
essentially  this :  that  death  is  not  an  evil  to  be 
dreaded,  because  it  either  ends  our  being,  and  then 
it  is  nothing ;  or  there  is  an  immortality,  and  then  it 
leads  to  eternal  felicity.  There  is,  he  thinks,  no  third 
estate.  For  himself,  he  is  inclined  to  believe  in  im- 
mortality, and  then  he  solaces  himself  with  the  thought 
that  he  shall  meet  there  the  spirits  of  the  illustrious 
and  beloved  dead,  who,  like  him,  will  have  escaped 
from  fhis  perturbed  and  transitory  life!  "  0  illustrious 
day!"  he  exclaims,  "when  this  shall  once  be!" 


66  NEABUQ  HOME. 

Now,  we  arc  free  to  admit  that  all  this,  or  most  of 
it,  is  true  and  very  interesting,  with  one  exception. 
There  are  thoughts  and  precepts  here  not  unworthy 
of  a  reflecting  old  age.  But  we  are  sure  you  feel 
their  defectiveness.  The  last  argument,  in  particular, 
is  not  only  defective,  but  in  part  false.  There  is  a 
third  estate.  Yes,  we  may  live  beyond  time  and  not 
be  happy.  And  then  the  kind  of  solace  he  seeks 
there  is  inferior,  and  ought  not  to  be  confined  to  the 
few  things  here  specified.  We  need  on  every  ac- 
count a  larger  and  securer  instruction.  In  nothing, 
perhaps,  does  the  superiority  of  the  blessed  gospel 
above  the  teachings  of  heathenism  more  strikingly 
appear  than  in  what  it  teaches  of  future  happiness 
and  the  true  secret  of  a  tranquil  old  age.  The  gospel 
brings  life  and  immortality  to  light ;  the  gospel  does 
not  vainly  deny  that  old  age  is  an  evil  in  itself,  but 
it  admits  its  trials,  and  then  provides  appropriate 
alleviations. 

I.  Would  we  learn  to  bear  the  ills  of  old  age  so  as 
to  be  happy  under  them  ?  therefore,  let  us  learn,  first 
of  all,  to  expect  it,  and  submit  to  it  when  it  conies  as  a 
providential  event.  We  should  learn,  says  the  pro- 
verb, to  be  seasonably  old,  that  we  may  be  long  old. 
By  this  it  is  not  meant  that  we  should  antedate  old 
age,  or  be  too  often  dwelling  upon  it  in  our  minds. 


OLD  AGE  ANTICIPATED.  67 

But  since  we  know  it  must  come,  and  lias  its  annoy- 
ances, and  that  all  this  is  the  order  of  Providence,  it 
is  best  to  admit  the  truth  freely,  and  make  the  best 
provision  for  it  that  we  can.  The  man  who  denies 
his  age,  or  attempts  to  conceal  its  approach  from  him- 
self, acts  unworthily  both  of  his  nature  and  condition. 
The  consistent  man  rather  faces  his  trials,  anticipates 
them,  and  submits  to  them  as  they  arise,  because  they 
are  from  God.  And  when  he  can  say  with  John  the 
Baptist,  "  He  must  increase,  but  I  must  decrease,'1  and 
yet  rejoice  in  the  providence,  the  half  of  his  difficulties 
are  thereby  removed. 

II.  Here  also  we  may  properly  look  at  and  estimate 
the  amount  of  these  trials  as  they  are  usually  seen  to 
occur.  Some  trials  of  age  are  inevitable,  and  others 
may  come  whence  they  ought  not.  We  shall  undoubt- 
edly find  some  of  our  faculties  and  some  of  our  enjoy- 
ments decreasing  in  that  state.  We  may  find  ourselves 
pushed  out  of  our  places  by  those  who  are  coming  after 
us,  and  not  always  without  a  rough  or  thoughtless 
touch.  The  young  do  not  in  all  cases  honour  gray 
hairs  as  they  should.  Some  instances  of  vain  and 
fanciful  self-conceit  will  undoubtedly  annoy  us.  The 
changes  and  wastings  of  things  must  constantly  meet 
us — the  thoughtlessness  of  the  age  aggravated  to  us 
by  the  too  ready  forgetting  of  what  has  gone  before — 


68  NEARING  HOME. 

jealousy  of  improvements  because  they  are  new,  and 
grief  for  the  loss  of  other  things  because  they  are  old ; — 
all  these  are  to  be  met  perhaps  in  our  own  case,  to- 
gether with  poverty,  darkness  and  neglect ;  and  then 
the  inevitable  necessity  of  being  swept  away  at  last 
by  a  "  rude  stream  that  must  for  ever  hide  us," — this 
is  more  or  less  to  be  expected,  and  it  is  no  wonder  if 
the  anticipations  of  such  things  do  at  times  shake  our 
faith  and  gather  clouds  over  our  future  experience. 

III.  And  yet  it  is  comfortable  to  be  able  to  believe 
that  the  anticipations  of  abandonment  and  extreme  trials 
in  old  age  are  not  often  realized.  On  the  contrary, 
except  where  vicious  habits  or  peculiar  circumstances 
have  rendered  escape  impossible,  the  wants  of  age  are 
remarkably  provided  for,  and  most  persons  are  com- 
paratively happy  in  that  condition.  They  have  many 
sources  of  enjoyment  (as  we  shall  soon  see),  and  they 
have  learned  better  to  appreciate  them.  They  have 
surmounted  their  annoyances,  and  their  estate  is  gen- 
erally tranquil,  sometimes  truly  enviable.  Their  old 
age  is  peaceful,  resigned,  cheerful  and  deeply  re- 
spected. "The  apex  of  old  age,"  says  Cicero,  "is 
authority ;"  by  which  we  suppose  to  be  meant  that 
respect  and  influence  to  which  a  virtuous  old  man 
usually  attains.  For  the  attainment  of  this  state, 
however,  means  are  undoubtedly  to  be  used.     The  art 


OLD  AGE  ANTICIPATED.  69 

is  to  be  learned  and  practised.     We  proceed  to  say, 
therefore, 

IV.  That  an  important  means  of  rendering  old  age 
happy  is  to  have  a  sufficiency  of  appropriate  employment. 
Agriculture  and  gardening  are  particularly  to  be 
recommended.  Let  the  old  men  plant  trees,  though 
they  may  never  expect  to  eat  the  fruit  of  them ;  let 
them  cultivate  a  cheerful  intercourse  with  children — 
let  them  bring  forward  and  encourage  all  virtuous 
and  enlightened  progress — let  them  sympathize  with, 
and,  as  far  as  possible,  relieve  the  afflicted — let  them 
sedulously  cherish  the  confidence  of  the  young  and 
seek  to  do  them  good — let  them  furnish  the  world 
with  the  results  of  experience  and  observation — trans- 
mit facts  and  recollections — set  a  goodly  example  of 
patience,  prayer  and  steadfastness,  in  attachment  to 
all  good  institutions ;  and  if  they  have  the  proper 
furniture  for  it  let  them  become  authors.  Old  age, 
other  things  being  suitable,  seems  the  very  time  for 
authorship.  We  are  told  that  Plato  wrote  at  eighty- 
one  years  of  age,  and  Isocrates  at  ninety-four.  We 
might  even  recommend  the  study  of  languages,  since 
every  new  language  or  science  is  an  enlargement  of 
mind,  and  a  most  absorbing  employment.  Cato  is 
said  to  have  learned  Greek  in  his  old  age,  and  Socrates 
to  play  on  musical  instruments. 


70  NEARING  HOME. 

V.  Again :  ice  should  cultivate  most  carefully  those 
faculties  which  are  most  usually  impaired  in  old  age. 
Memory  is  one  of  these.  The  memory  soonest  fails 
undoubtedly ;  but  it  need  not  be  altogether  so ;  nor 
do  we  see  why  we  should  not  remember  all  we  desire 
to  remember,  as  well  in  old  age  as  at  any  other 
period.  The  reason  why  we  do  not  probably  is,  that 
to  many  things  we  attach  less  importance  than  we  did 
in  earlier  life.  Seldom  does  any  man  forget  his  legal 
titles  to  property;  the  Christian  never  forgets  the 
name  of  his  Saviour.  We  should  occupy  our  memo- 
ries, therefore,  with  things  most  worthy  to  be  remem- 
bered ;  and  then  much  may  be  done  by  practising 
them.  Sloth  and  neglect  will  ruin  any  faculty.  "  If 
the  instrument  be  blunt,  then  must  he  put  to  the 
more  strength." 

VI.  On  the  same  principle,  it  is  important  to  keep 
alive  our  hope  and  ambition  in  old  age.  The  affections 
of  the  mind  can  in  many  things  control  bodily  in- 
firmities, and  among  these  affections  there  are  none 
stronger  than  those  of  hope  and  ambition.  "  An  old 
man  can  do  something,"  says  one ;  "  I  will  show  it," 
cries  another ;  and  "  I  shall  succeed,"  says  a  third. 
And  now  by  believing,  feeling,  and  trying ',  success  and 
great  usefulness  are  finally  attained ;  while  on  the 
other  hand  many  no  doubt  have  sunk  prematurely, 


OLD  AGE  ANTICIPATED.  71 

through  mere  discouragement  or  retiring  too  early 
from  the  activities  of  life.  Cases  are  occurring  to 
show  that  health  and  physical  strength  may  be  greatly 
extended  by  determined  and  appropriate  efforts,  and 
why  should  it  not  be  so  with  mental  activities  ?  Let 
us  never  give  up  hope. 

VII.  Let  us  learn  to  avoid  and  resist  as  far  as  possible 
those  things  which  may  be  called  the  besetting  infirmities 
of  this  condition.  These  are  jealousy  of  neglect,  an 
undue  valuation  of  old  things,  peevishness,  neglect 
of  personal  appearance,  moroseness,  or  discontent 
with  our  whole  condition.  These  are  natural  tenden- 
cies undoubtedly,  and  great  annoyances  where  they 
exist ;  but  much  may  be  done  by  foreseeing  and  avoid- 
ing them.  It  was  Dean  Swift  who  wrote  his  resolu- 
tions as  to  what  he  would  not  do  in  old  age.  But  the 
better  recommendation  is  prayer,  watchfulness,  and  a 
constant  exercise  of  patience. 

VIII.  Another  rule  is,  to  think  as  little  as  possible 
of  our  losses  in  old  age,  and  more  of  the  blessings  which 
still  remain.  No  doubt  natural  differences  of  dispo- 
sition will  have  influence  here,  and  some  cases  are 
so  providentially  afflictive  that  human  efforts  can  do 
little  to  modify  them.  But  in  general  we  believe 
that  cheerfulness  and  entire  contentment  may  be  se- 
cured in  the  way  now  suggested ;  and  we  have  wit- 


72  NEARHJG  HOME. 

nessed  some  cases  of  this  that  were  truly  edifying. 
"  See,"  said  an  old  lady  of  eighty-six  to  her  pastor, 
"how  well  I  can  read  without  spectacles  /"  "Yes,"  said 
he,  "  and  you  have  all  these  other  comforts.  Here 
are  your  convenient  accommodations,  your  dutiful 
children,  and,  above  all,  your  Bible  with  all  its  pre- 
cious promises."  "  I  know  it,  I  know  it,"  said  she, 
with  rising  animation  ;  "  I  am  only  afraid  that  I  am 
not  thankful  enough."  Now  that  individual  would 
have  been  cheerful  in  almost  any  condition.  The 
happiness  we  recommend  is  not  of  indifference,  how- 
ever— not  of  a  mere  animal,  but  of  a  rational  being, 
and  therefore  it  is  reflective. 

IX.  We  must  not  omit  now  those  more  direct  exer- 
cises of  prayer,  and  faith,  and  Christian  meditation  so 
necessary  and  so  becoming  the  condition  we  are  con- 
templating. The  aged  should  have  opportunities  for 
these.  They  should  have  retirement  and  freedom 
from  noise;  and  it  is  one  of  the  greatest  cruelties 
practised  upon  them  that  these  opportunities  are 
sometimes  denied.  But  what  more  pleasant,  what 
more  appropriate  and  profitable,  when  they  are  en- 
joyed, than  to 

"Walk  thoughtful  on  the  silent,  solemn  shore 
Of  that  vast  ocean  we  must  sail  so  soon ;" 

to  spend  much  of  our  time  in  reading,  meditation 


OLD  AGE  ANTICIPATED.  73 

and  prayer;  to  withdraw  our  affections  more  and 
more  from  the  world,  like  old  Barzillai ;  to  reflect 
much  on  God's  dealings  with  us,  like  David  in  the 
71st  Psalm,  and  to  seek  the  welfare  of  Zion,  and  all 
around  us,  as  we  find  ourselves  descending  to  the 
tomb  ! 

"  The  land  of  silence  and  of  death  awaits  my  next  remove : 
Oh  may  these  poor  remains  of  breath  teach  the  wide  world  thy  love." 

X.  But  we  come  to  the  closing  scene.  We  must 
all  come  there  at  last ;  and  now  the  great  question 
is — the  only  question  worthy  of  much  solicitude — how 
shall  we  best  be  prepared  to  meet  anticipated  death? 
Not,  we  answer,  by  the  cold  despisings  of  philoso- 
phy— not  by  mere  natural  resolution  or  vain 
speculation,  as  if  death  must  either  be  nothing,  or 
necessarily  lead  to  eternal  felicity.  For,  alas,  we 
may  live  after  death  in  a  very  different  state! 
And  no  mere  natural  resources  seem  sufficient  to 
face  with  calmness  a  responsibility  like  this.  Nor 
yet  is  it  a  sufficient  solace,  in  view  of  death,  that 
we  may  say,  We  shall  meet  beyond  death  those 
with  whom  we  held  intercourse  here  on  earth.  No, 
we  feel,  we  know  that  we  want  all  this,  and  more. 
Now,  the  true  Christian,  and  he  alone,  has  this  re- 
source.    To  him  the  blessed  gospel  "has  brought 

life  and   immortality  to  light."     He  believes  this. 
10 


74  HEARING  HOME. 

He  has  long  obeyed  the  gospel,  and  tasted  some  of 
its  blessed  consolations ;  and  now,  in  his  old  age,  he 
lies  down  to  die  with  infinitely  more  and  better 
enjoyments  than  the  wisest  of  heathens  ever  knew. 
He  has  all  that  Cicero  wrote  so  pleasingly  of;  and 
then  he  goes  much  further.  He  knows  he  must  die; 
he  sees  death  near;  and  yet  he  does  not  shudder. 
He  has  heard  his  divine  Redeemer  say,  "  I  am  the 
resurrection  and  the  life,"  and  he  responds,  "  I  know 
that  my  Redeemer  liveth."  He  is  conscious,  never 
more  so  than  now,  of  his  great  sins  and  great  de- 
ficiencies of  obedience ;  but  he  knows  also  that  he 
has  a  great  and  mighty  Saviour,  and  "that  the  blood 
of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin."  He  expects 
a  glorious  resurrection  also ;  and  then  as  to  the  felici- 
ties that  await  him  beyond  the  grave,  he  does  not 
confine  them  to  mere  social  intercourse,  such  as  he 
possessed  on  earth,  but  expects  these  infinitely  im- 
proved ;  and  then  the  superadded  and  almost  incon- 
ceivable fruition  of  a  present  God,  an  openly-beheld 
Saviour,  and  the  society  of  all  holy  and  elevated 
beings — angels  and  men — in  one  unwearying  activity 
around  the  throne  of  God  for  ever.  Illustrious  day 
indeed,  when  all  this  is  to  be  entered  upon  and  en- 
joyed! As  to  leaving  the  world,  lie  does  not  regret 
it,  for  he  has  enjoyed  what  of  good  it  could  ever 


OLD  AGE  ANTICIPATED.  75 

afford,  and  finished  his  usefulness  in  it.  Dear  ob- 
jects of  his  affection  are  there  still,  but  he  leaves  his 
blessing  with  them,  and  hopes  besides  to  meet  them 
all  again  "  at  the  great  rising  clay."  And  thus  he 
dies,  easily,  tranquilly,  and  with  glorious  hopes. 

"  Sure  the  last  end  of  the  good  man  is  peace. 
Night-dews  fall  not  more  gently  to  the  ground ; 
Nor  weary,  worn-out  winds  expire  so  soft." 


as 


0bittg-|nttirt«ss. 


REV.    SAMUEL    MEDLEY. 


Awake,  my  soul,  in  joyful  lays, 
And  sing  thy  great  Redeemer's  praise 
He  justly  claims  a  song  from  thee ; 
His  loving-kindness,  oh,  how  free ! 

He  saw  me  ruined  in  the  fall, 
Yet  loved  me  notwithstanding  all ; 
He  saved  me  from  my  lost  estate, 
His  loving-kindness,  oh,  how  great ! 

Though  num'rous  hosts  of  mighty  foesr 
Though  earth  and  hell  my  way  oppose, 
He  safely  leads  my  soul  along, 
His  loving-kindness,  oh,  how  strong ! 

When  trouble,  like  a  gloomy  cloud, 
Has  gathered  thick,  and  thundered  loud, 
He  near  my  soul  has  always  stood, 
His  loving-kindness,  oh,  how  good ! 

78 


L  0  VINO-KINDNESS.  77 

Often  I  feel  my  sinful  heart 
Prone  from  my  Saviour  to  depart ; 
But,  though  I  oft  have  him  forgot, 
His  loving-kindness  changes  not. 

toon  shall  I  pass  the  gloomy  vale, 
Soon  all  my  mortal  powers  must  fail ; 
Oh,  may  my  last  expiring  breath 
His  loving-kindness  sing  in  death. 


H  j|cto  movt  gags. 

HORATIUS    BONAR,   D.  D. 

A  few  more  years  shall  roll, 

A  few  more  seasons  come, 
And  we  shall  be  with  those  that  rest 

Asleep  within  the  tomb. 
Then,  0  my  Lord,  prepare 

My  soul  for  that  great  day ; 
Oh  wash  me  in  thy  precious  blood, 

And  take  my  sins  away ! 

A  few  more  suns  shall  set 

O'er  these  dark  hills  of  time, 
And  we  shall  be  where  suns  are  not — 

A  far  serener  clime. 
Then,  0  my  Lord,  prepare 

My  soul  for  that  blest  day ; 
Oh  wash  me  in  thy  precious  blood, 

And  take  my  sins  away ! 

A  few  more  storms  shall  beat 
On  this  wild,  rocky  shore, 


t8 


A  FEW  MORE  DAYS.  79 

And  we  shall  be  where  tempests  cease, 

And  surges  swell  no  more. 
Then,  0  my  Lord,  prepare 

My  soul  for  that  calm  day ; 
Oh  wash  me  in  thy  precious  blood, 

And  take  my  sins  away. 

A  few  more  struggles  here, 

A  few  more  partings  o'er, 
A  few  more  toils,  a  few  more  tears, 

And  we  shall  weep  no  more. 
Then,  0  my  Lord,  prepare 

My  soul  for  that  blest  day  ; 
Oh  wash  me  in  thy  precious  blood, 

And  take  my  sins  away. 


Sbitre  frith  mt. 

REV.   HENRY    FRANCIS    LYTE. 

Abide  with  me !     Fast  falls  the  eventide, 
The  darkness  thickens  ;  Lord,  with  me  abide : 
When  other  helpers  fail,  and  comforts  flee, 
Help  of  the  helpless,  oh  abide  with  me. 

Swift  to  its  close  ebbs  out  life's  little  day ; 
Earth's  joys  grow  dim,  its  glories  pass  away : 
Change  and  decay  in  all  around  I  see ; 
0  thou,  who  changest  not,  abide  with  me. 

Not  a  brief  glance  I  beg,  a  passing  word, 
But  as  thou  dwell'st  with  thy  disciples,  Lord — 
Familiar,  condescending,  patient,  free ; 
Come,  not  to  sojourn,  but  abide,  with  me. 

Thou  on  my  head  in  early  youth  did'st  smile, 
And  though  rebellious  and  perverse  meanwhile, 
Thou  hast  not  left  me,  oft  as  I  left  thee ; 
On  to  the  close,  0  Lord,  abide  with  me. 


ABIDE   WITH  ME.  81 

I  need  thy  jDresence  every  passing  hour ; 
What  but  thy  grace  can  foil  the  tempter's  power? 
Who,  like  thyself,  my  guide  and  stay  can  be  ? 
Through  cloud  and  sunshine,  oh  abide  with  me. 

I  fear  no  foe  with  thee  at  hand  to  bless ; 

Ills  have  no  weight,  and  tears  no  bitterness  : 

Where  is  death's  sting?  where,  grave,  thy  victory? 

I  triumph  still  if  thou  abide  with  me. 
11 


0ir  is  mg 


HENGSTENBERG. 


God  is  my  Light! — Never,  my  soul,  despair 

In  hours  of  thy  distress ! 
The  sun  withdraws,  and  earth  is  dark  and  drear ; 

My  light  will  never  cease, 
0  days  of  joy  with  splendour  beaming  ! 
Through  nights  of  grief,  its  rays  are  gleaming  ; 

God  is  my  Light ! 

God  is  my  Trust ! — My  soul,  be  not  afraid ! 

Thy  Helper  will  abide : 
"  I'll  not  forsake  thee  !" — he  has  kindly  said, — 

He's  ever  at  thy  side ; 
In  feeble  age  will  yet  stand  by  thee, 
No  real  good  will  he  deny  thee ; — 

God  is  my  Trust ! 

His  is  the  power ! — He  speaks,  and  it  is  done ; 
Commands,  it  standeth  fast ; 

*  Translated  by  Dr.  Mills. 
82 


GOD  IS  MY  LIGHT.  83 

Ere  hope  of  rescue  is  in  me  begun, 

Behold,  the  work  is  past ! 
When  we  our  weakness  most  are  feeling, 
God  loves  to  prove,  his  strength  revealing, 

His  is  the  power. 

God  is  my  shield ! — Of  me  he  takes  the  care 

As  none  beside  could  do ; 
He  guards  my  head, — he  watches  every  hair, 

All  dangers  brings  me  through  ; 
While  thousands,  to  vain  helpers  calling, 
On  right  and  left  are  near  me  falling, — 

He  is  my  Shield ! 

God's  my  reward ! — Well  pleased  I  onward  go 

The  path  that  he  has  shown : 
It  has  no  trials  but  my  God  will  know, 

When  he  awards  my  crown. 
I'll  gladly  strive,  the  fight  sustaining, 
Until  in  death  the  victory  gaining, — 

God's  my  Reward ! 


* 


fee  fhlgrim's  tttttozytct. 

REV.   ROBERT  F.  SAMPLE. 

11  Call  to  remembrance  the  former  days." — Heb.  x.  32. 

I've  travelled  a  long  and  weary  way, 

Through  many  a  valley  dim  ; 
I  have  wept  in  the  morning  gray, 
And  sobbed  my  evening  hymn ; 
But  'tis  the  way  that  leads  me  home, 
No  more  to  weep,  no  more  to  roam; 

And  like  a  Sabbath  chime 

Along  the  by-gone  time, 

The  voice  of  Him  who  said, 

"  'Tis  I ;  be  not  afraid." 

Sore  conflicts  oft  with  sin  I've  known, 
And  tempest-tossed  have  been  ; 

My  heart  was  rent  with  many  a  groan; 
Alas,  the  power  of  sin ! 

But  strength  was  given  and  armour  bright; 

I  walked  by  faith,  and  not  by  sight ; 

84 


THE  PILGRIM'S  RETROSPECT.  85 

And  like  a  Sabbath  chime 
Along  the  by-gone  time, 
The  voice  of  Him  who  said, 
"  Tis  I ;  be  not  afraid." 

The  light  of  cherished  hopes  went  out, 

And  darkening  storms  came  on ; 
In  forests  cold  I  roamed  about, 
And  refuge  there  was  none ; 
But  Jesus  came  to  my  relief, 
He  hushed  the  wailings  of  my  grief ; 

And  like  a  Sabbath  chime 

Along  the  by-gone  time, 

The  voice  of  Him  who  said, 

"  'Tis  I ;  be  not  afraid." 

Soon  on  my  home  dark  shadows  fell, 

My  dearly- loved  was  dead  ! 
Then  sadly  tolled  the  funeral  bell, 

And  blinding  tears  were  shed ; 
But  in  the  gloom  arose  a  light, 
As  Jesus  passed  within  my  sight ; 

And  like  a  Sabbath  chime 

Along  the  by-gone  time, 

The  voice  of  Him  who  said, 

"  'Tis  I ;  be  not  afraid." 


86  NEARTNG  HOME. 

But  mercies  too  have  crowned  my  years, 
And  many  days  were  bright ; 

The  lamps  of  heaven  dispelled  my  fears, 
And  bathed  my  path  with  light ; 

'Twas  sweet  to  lean  on  Jesus'  arm, 

To  feel  secure  from  real  harm ; 
And  like  a  Sabbath  chime 
Along  the  by-gone  time, 
The  voice  of  Him  who  said, 
"  'Tis  I ;  be  nov  afraid." 


jgmpatljg  attir  Selfishness. 


ANONYMOUS. 


Each  season  of  life  has  its  own  peculiar  tendencies 
and  temptations.  But  selfishness  is  at  all  times  and 
under  all  circumstances  the  common  sin  which  doth 
so  easily  beset  us.  In  early  youth  we  are  prone  to 
imagine  that  everybody  and  everything  about  us 
ought  in  some  way  to  minister  to  our  gratification, 
and  we  therefore  strive  to  employ  them  in  the 
furtherance  of  the  plans  which  we  have  arranged  for 
our  own  happiness.  In  old  age,  when  the  infirmities 
of  life  compel  us  to  withdraw  from  its  activities  and 
its  pleasures,  we  are  in  danger  of  supposing  that  since 
we  can  derive  but  little  enjoyment  now  from  those 
sources  which  once  yielded  to  us  a  rich  supply,  it  is 
a  matter  of  little  importance  to  us  whether  others 
find  any  satisfaction  in  them  or  not.  It  often  hap- 
pens that  old  age  narrows  the  channel  of  our  benevo- 
lence and  our  sympathy ;  we  have  less  to  receive, 
and  we  think  we  cannot  have  so  much  to  give.  Our 
thoughts,  allowed  to  take  their  natural  course,  be- 
come concentrated  on  "self;"  all  that  personally  con- 


87 


88  NEAEING   HOME. 

cerns  us  is  so  magnified  as  very  much  to  hide  from 
our  view  the  interests  of  our  neighbours ;  we  look  so 
steadily  and  so  exclusively  on  our  own  good  that  we 
almost  lose  sight  of  the  good  of  others. 

Now,  will  you  guard  against  the  influence  of  these 
selfish  feelings?  Will  you  bear  in  mind  how  op- 
posed, how  thoroughly  opposed,  are  selfishness  and 
Christianity?  Will  you  reflect  upon  the  injury 
which  you  may  do  to  religion  by  allowing  an  undue 
regard  for  self  to  be  manifested  in  the  little  occur- 
rences of  your  everyday  life?  A  young  man,  who 
was  urged  by  a  pious  friend  to  devote  himself  to  the 
service  of  God,  made  this  reply :  "  It  is  of  no  use  to 
talk  to  me  in  this  way ;  I  have  seen  too  much  of  re- 
ligious people  to  desire  to  be  like  them.  They  pre- 
tend to  be  a  great  deal  better  than  everybody  else, 
but    they   are   just    the   same   underneath.      Why, 

there's  my  uncle  S ,  an  old  man  with  one  foot 

already  in  the  grave ;  he  calls  himself  a  Christian, 
and  yet  he  is  as  covetous  and  as  selfish  as  possible. 
See  him  at  home ;  his  comfort,  his  ease,  his  wishes, 
must  be  first  consulted  ;  everybody  must  give  way  to 
him;  and  he  is  constantly  taking  offence  because  he 
thinks  lie  lias  not  sufficient  attention  and  respect 
paid  to  him.  What's  the  use  of  religion?  it  is  all 
show — mere  show." 


SYMPATHY  AND  SELFISHNESS.  89 

Tt  was  not  difficult  to  answer  such  an  objection  as 
this,  but  it  was  difficult  to  remove  the  prejudice  and 
the  misconception  which  had  gathered  around  that 
young  man's  mind.  The  selfish  behaviour  of  his 
aged  relative,  in  conjunction  with  that  of  others,  had 
so  set  him  against  religion  that  he  would  not  listen 
to  its  claims ;  and,  although  moral  and  amiable  in  his 
conduct,  he  still  remains  estranged  from  God  and 
from  his  people.  It  is  true  that  the  faults  and  in- 
consistencies of  professed  Christians  will  furnish  no 
valid  excuse  for  his  refusal  to  love  and  serve  his  Grod 
and  Saviour;  but  ought  they  not  to  excite  the  deepest 
grief  and  shame  in  those  who  have  thus  thrown 
additional  stumbling-blocks  in  the  way  of  a  sinner's 
return?  Ought  we  not  earnestly  to  watch  and  pray 
that  we  do  not  bring  reproach  upon  that  holy  name 
by  which  we  are  called,  through  our  self-love  and 
self-indulgence  ?  It  is  not  so  much  by  flagrant  de- 
partures 'from  the  ways  of  godliness  that  we  exert  a 
baneful  influence  over  the  undecided  and  the  uncon- 
verted, as  by  our  apparently  careless  disregard  of 
whatsoever  things  are  lovely  and  of  good  report. 
The  warm  and  generous-hearted  spirit  of  youth  will 
shrink  with  distaste,  if  not  with  disgust,  from  a 
religion  which  our  actions  have  led  him  to  ally  with 

meanness   and   selfishness.     Our   prayers,  our  zeal, 
12 


90  NEABING  HOME. 

our  alms-giving,  our  profession,  will  have  but  little 
weight  with  him  if  they  are  associated  day  after  day 
with  the  unhallowed  and  unamiable  endeavour  to 
secure  our  personal  ease,  in  preference  to  the  comfort 
of  others; — he  will  regard  them  but  as  sounding 
brass  or  a  tinkling  cymbal.  And  will  he  not  rightly 
regard  them?  "Though  I  have  all  faith  and  know- 
ledge ;  though  I  bestow  all  my  goods  to  feed  the  poor ; 
and  though  I  give  my  body  to  be  burned,  and  have 
not  love — that  love  which  seeketh  not  her  own; 
which  vaunteth  not  itself,  but  which  suffereth  long 
and  is  kind — it  profiteth  me  nothing."* 

Let  not,  then,  the  infirmities  of  age  be  a  plea  for 
your  lessened  sympathy  with  others.  Should  the 
graces  of  the  Christian  decline  with  his  fading 
strength  ?  should  the  shadow  of  the  tomb  dim  the 
light  of  his  heaven-born  love?  Surely  the  nearer 
that  he  approaches  to  the  pure  and  peaceful  fellow- 
ship of  the  saints  above,  the  more  should  his  spirit 
be  conformed  to  theirs.  And  is  theirs  a  spirit  of 
selfishness  ?  Are  they  absorbed  in  their  own  inter- 
ests, their  own  occupations,  their  own  joys  ?  are  they 
indifferent  to  the  feelings  and  the  pleasures  of  their 
bright  companions?  No;  they  joyfully  and  fully 
sympathize  with  each  other ;  self  is  forgotten  there ; 

*  1  Cor.  xiii. 


SYMPATHY  AND  SELFISHNESS.  91 

and  if  we  hope,  through  a  Saviour's  merits,  to  reach 
the  home  where  they  dwell,  let  us  endeavour  to 
cherish  corresponding  emotions  to  theirs.  Let  us 
strive  to  follow  them  as  they,  when  on  earth,  followed 
Christ.  Ah,  let  us  rather  look  at  once  at  Jesus,  our 
perfect  model,  our  brightest  example ;  let  us  ask  to 
have  the  mind  that  was  in  him,  and  to  be  imbued 
with  his  Spirit.  For  then  we  cannot  live  day  after 
day — as  some  who  profess  and  call  themselves  Chris- 
tians do  live — cold  and  careless  about  the  welfare  of 
others,  and  at  the  same  time  intensely  solicitous  to 
promote  our  own.  "Ye  have  not  so  learned  Christ; 
if  so  be  that  ye  have  heard  him,  and  have  been 
taught  by  him,  as  the  truth  is  in  Jesus."*  His  doc- 
trine which  we  have  received  into  our  hearts,  and 
his  example  which  we  have  chosen  as  the  guide  of 
our  conduct,  lead  us  to  deny  ourselves  that  we  may 
benefit  others,  and  to  take  the  liveliest  interest  in  all 
that  relates  to  their  happiness. 

And  we  are  not  to  retrace  our  steps  as  years  in- 
crease. We  are  not  to  be  peevish,  discontented,  or 
unreasonable  because  we  are  old  or  getting  old. 
This  is  certainly  not  our  creed,  and,  God  helping 
us,  it  shall  never  be  our  practice.  As  we  advance  in 
life  we  should  be  more  considerate,  more  kind,  more 

*  EpL  iv.  20,  21. 


92  NEARING  HOME. 

like  Christ,  not  less  so ;  and  if  we  abide  in  him,  and 
his  words  abide  in  us,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  we 
shall  thus  grow  in  grace.  The  stream  of  Christian 
affection  will  become  deeper,  not  shallower ;  the  flame 
of  unselfish  love  will  burn  more  brightly,  instead  of 
almost  going  out. 

Oh  how  delightful  is  the  sight  of  an  aged  be- 
liever richly  imbued  with  the  loving  and  unselfish 
spirit  of  his  Master !  How  refreshing  is  it  in  this 
dreary  world  to  rest  a  while  beneath  some  venerable 
palm  tree,  which  spreads  out  its  cooling  branches  as 
if  the  only  object  of  its  existence  were  to  bless  the 
passer-by!  How  cheering  is  it,  amidst  the  selfish 
and  dissatisfied  throng  around  us,  to  meet  with  those 
who  can  smile  through  their  own  tears  upon  the 
happy  and  the  gifted ! 

An  aged  servant  of  the  Lord  had  survived  all  her 
near  relatives ;  the  last  beloved  object  of  her  tender 
affections,  of  her  constant  recollection,  was  laid  in 
the  grave.  Her  life  had  been  the  scene  of  many 
sorrows,  and  there  was  but  little  sunshine  to  cheer 
the  evening  of  her  life.  One  day,  as,  lonely  and 
blind,  she  sat  by  the  fireside  in  her  little  parlour,  a 
friend  who  called  to  see  her  found  her — doing  what? 
Murmuring  over  her  desolate  condition,  and  com- 
plaining that   she  was  uncared-for  and   forgotten? 


SYMPATHY  AND  SELFISHNESS.  93 

No,  but  rejoicing  in  the  happiness  of  others.  A 
family  whom  she  had  known  and  loved  in  early  life 
was  to  be  gladdened  on  that  day  by  the  return  of  a 
long-absent  member;  and,  through  its  dull  and  silent 
hours,  her  lips  were  often  unclosed  to  express  her 
delight  at  the  thoughts  of  their  meeting,  her  prayers 
that  they  might  be  blessed.  "  Were  this  my  case," 
thought  the  listener,  "  I  should  have  been  repining 
that  others  had  the  comfort  of  tender  relatives  and 
loving  friends,  while  I  was  left  alone  in  the  world, 
looking  for  none  whose  approach  could  console  and 
gladden  my  solitary  existence."  The  latter  feeling  is 
the  emotion  of  the  natural  heart — the  former  of  the 
Christian  spirit.  Reader,  which  would  have  been 
yours  ? 


kti  Bpbionv*  imager. 


ANONYMOUS. 


I  pray  not  that  thou  shouldest  take  them  out  of  the  world,  but  that  thou 
shouldest  keep  them  from  the  evil." — John  xvii.  15. 

Pilgrim  in  the  path  of  life, 
Fainting  in  the  daily  strife, 
Wishing,  longing  to  be  free 
From  thy  load  of  misery, 
Panting  for  the  heavenly  home, 
Where  no  blighting  sorrows  come : 
List  thy  Saviour's  prayer  for  thee, 
Wait  his  time  to  set  thee  free. 

Mourner,  bending  o'er  the  dead, 
From  whose  cheek  the  bloom  has  fled, 
Gazing  in  the  glassy  eye, 
Vainly  asking  for  reply, 
Wishing  that  thy  days  were  done, 
And  thou  with  thy  beloved  one : 
List  thy  Saviour's  prayer  for  thee, 
Wait  his  time  to  set  thee  free. 

94 


THE  SAVIOUR'S  PRAYER.  95 

Aged  wanderer,  sad  and  lone, 
All  thy  youth's  companions  gone, 
Like  blasted  trunk,  round  which  the  vine 
Shall  never  more  its  tendrils  twine, 
Like  stranger  on  a  foreign  coast 
Weeping  o'er  his  treasures  lost : 
List  thy  Saviour's  prayer  for  thee, 
Wait  his  time  to  set  thee  free. 

"  Not  that  thou  should' st  take  away 
These  thy  creatures  of  a  day, 
Pray  I,  Father,  but  that  in 
Thy  mercy  thou  would' st  save  from  sin; 
Keep  them  from  the  evil  one, 
Till  their  course  of  life  is  run." 
This  thy  Saviour  prayed  for  tnee,' 
Patient  wait  till  thou  art  free. 


\t  %&tb  ifwrisifan. 


ANONYMOUS. 


The  spring  and  summer  time  of  life  have  long  since 

pass'd  away, 
And  golden  autumn,  with  its  leaves  of  sadness  and 

decay, 
Has  come  and  gone ;  and  winter  shrouds  each  lovely 

scene  in  gloom, 
And  bids  me  mark  across  my  path  the  shadows  of 

the  tomb. 

Mine  eye  is  growing  dim  with  age,  my  step  is  feeble 

now, 
And  deeper  lines  of  thought  and  care  are  graven  on 

my  brow ; 
But  shall  I  murmur  as  I  trace  the  rapid  flight  of 

hours, 
Or  grasp  with  trembling  eagerness  earth's  fair  yet 

fading  flowers  ? 

Oh  no !  a  bright  and  happy  home  awaiteth  me  above, 
And  my  ardent  spirit  longs  to  dwell  where  all  is  joy 
and  love. 

96 


THE  AGED   CHRISTIAN.  97 

Does  the  wave-tossed  mariner  regret  when  he  sees 

the  haven  near 
Where  his  shattered  bark  shall  safely  rest,  nor  storm 

nor  danger  fear  ? 

Will  the  toil-worn  labourer  sigh  because  his  weary 
task  must  close, 

And  evening's  peaceful  shades  afford  him  calm  and 
sweet  repose  ? 

Or  does  the  child  with  sorrow  mark  each  swift  re- 
volving mile 

Which  bears  him  to  his  cherished  home  and  loving 
father's  smile  ? 

And  shall  the  Christian  grieve  because  some  gentle 

signs  are  given 
That  he  is  nearer  to  the  bliss,  the  perfect  bliss  of 

heaven  ? 
That  every  moment  closer  brings  that  mansion  fair 

and  bright, 
Prepared  for  him  with  tender  love  in  realms  of  -pure 

delight? 

Oh !    with  such  brilliant  hopes  as  these  how  can  my 

heart  repine, 
Although  I  feel  my  vigour  fade,  my  wonted  strength 

decline  ? 

13 


98  NEARING  HOME. 

Rather  with  gladness  would  I  hail  these  messages  of 

love, 
Which  tell  me  I  shall  quickly  join  the  white-robed 

throng  above. 

My  pilgrimage  will  soon  be  o'er,  my  arduous  race  be 

run, 
And  the  bright  crown  of  victory  triumphant  faith 

have  won ; 
No  sorrow  clouds  the  land  of  rest,  hush'd  is  the  thought 

of  pain : 
Oh !  if  for  me  to  live  is  Christ,  to  die  indeed  is  gain  ! 


m\t  %oict  ixtsvx  faille*. 

HORATtUS  BONAR,   D.   D. 

"  Of  his  fulness  have  all  we  received,  and  grace  for  grace." — John  i.  16. 

I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say. 

Come  unto  me  and  rest ; 
Lay  down,  thou  weary  one,  lay  down 

Thy  head  upon  my  breast. 
I  came  to  Jesus  as  I  was, 

Weary,  and  worn,  and  sad ; 
I  found  in  him  a  resting-place, 

And  he  has  made  me  glad. 

I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say, 

Behold,  I  freely  give 
The  living  water, — thirsty  one, 

Stoop  down,  and  drink,  and  live. 
I  came  to  Jesus  and  I  drank 

Of  that  life-giving  stream ; 
My  thirst  was  quenched,  my  soul  revived, 

And  now  I  live  in  him. 

99 


100  NEABING  HOME. 

I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say, 

I  am  this  dark  world's  light, 
Look  unto  me,  thy  morn  shall  rise, 

And  all  thy  day  be  bright. 
I  looked  to  Jesus  and  I  found 

In  him  my  star,  my  sun ; 
And  in  that  light  of  life  I'll  walk 

Till  travelling  days  are  done. 


©Ijt  Sa%r-|f anir.* 

FROM  THE  GERMAN  OF  CLAUS  HARMS. 

Know  ye  the  land — on  earth  'twere  vainly  sought — 
To  which  the  heart  in  sorrows  turns  its  thought  ? 
Where  no  complaint  is  heard, — tears  never  flow, — 
The  good  are  blest, — the  weak  with  vigour  glow  ? 
Know  ye  it  well  ? 

For  this,  for  this, 
All  earthly  wish  or  care,  my  friends,  dismiss ! 

Know  ye  the  way — the  rugged  path  of  thorns  ? 
His  lagging  progress  there  the  traveller  mourns ; 
He  faints,  he  sinks, — from  dust  he  cries  to  God — 
"  Relieve  me,  Father,  from  the  weary  road !" 
Know  ye  it  well  ? 

It  guides,  it  guides 
To  that  dear  land  where  all  we  hope  abides. 

Know  ye  that  Friend  ? — In  him  a  man  you  see ; — 
Yet  more  than  man,  more  than  all  men,  is  he : 

*  Translated  by  Dr.  Mills. 

101 


102  NEAEINO  HOME. 

Himself  before  us  trod  the  path  of  thorns  ; 
To  pilgrims  now  his  heart  with  pity  turns. 
Know  ye  him  well  ? 

His  hand,  his  hand 
Will  safely  bring  us  to  that  Father-land. 


JAMES    HAMILTON,    D.   D. 

"The  righteous  shall  flourish  like  the  palm  tree." — Psa.  xcii.  12. 

The  Palm  brings  forth  its  best  fruit  in  old  age. 
The  best  dates  are  said  to  be  gathered  when  it  has 
reached  a  hundred  years.  So  it  is  with  eminent 
Christians  :  the  older  the  better ;  the  older  the  more 
beautiful ;  nay,  the  older  the  more  useful ;  and,  differ- 
ent from  worldlings,  the  older  the  happier.  The 
best  Christians  are  those  who  improve  to  the  end, 
who  grow  in  grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  the  very  close  of  life. 

They  loved  him  at  first,  but  now  they  love  him 
more.  At  first  they  were  selfish,  and  only  sought  to 
escape  from  wrath  ;  now  they  are  jealous  of  the 
Saviour's  honour,  and  long  to  be  saved  from  sin. 
At  first  they  only  thought  of  the  Priest ;  now  they 
perceive  the  Priest  upon  a  throne,  and  love  not  only 
the  Saviour's  cross,  but  the  Saviour's  yoke  and  the 
Saviour's  laws.  One  Jesus  is  their  King.  And  they 
grow   in    knowledge   of   themselves.     The  truth   to 

103 


104  NEABINQ  HOME. 

which  they  once  assented  becomes  a  deep-wrought 
experience.  "  In  me,  that  is,  in  my  flesh,  dwelleth 
no  good  thing."  And  the  discovery  of  this  de- 
pravity, the  knowledge  how  debased  and  worthless 
their  nature  has  become,  instead  of  making  them 
morose  and  bitter  towards  their  fellow-sharers  in  the 
fall,  makes  them  lenient  and  considerate.  They 
know  themselves  too  well  to  expect  perfection  in 
their  friends,  and  find  brethren  to  whom  they  can 
slick  close  in  the  face  of  obvious  failings ;  and  even 
wben  they  hear  of  awful  wickedness,  indignation  is 
chastened  by  shame  and  self-consciousness.  It  is 
something  of  the  old  Reformer's  feeling  when  he 
saw  the  malefactor  led  to  prison  : — "  There,  but  for 
the  grace  of  God,  goes  John  Bradford."  And  they 
grow  in  wisdom.  Long  experience,  and  still  more 
the  secret  of  the  Lord,  dispassionate  observation 
and  heavenly-mindedness,  have  given  them  sagacity  ; 
and  sometimes  in  homely  adages,  sometimes  in  direct 
and  sober  counsel,  they  deal  forth  that  mellow  wis- 
dom. And  they  grow  in  spirituality.  We  have 
seen  those  aged  pilgrims  to  whom  earthly  things  at 
last  grew  insipid;  they  had  no  curiosity  for  the  news 
of  the  day,  and  little  taste  for  fresh  and  entertaining 
books.  They  stuck  to  God's  testimonies,  and  you 
never  went  in  to  see  them  but  the  ample  Bible  lay 


THE  PALM.  105 

open  on  the  table  or  the  counterpane ;  and  they  could 
tell  the  portion  which  had  been  that  morning's  food 
or  the  meditation  of  the  previous  night.  The  word 
of  God  dwelt  in  them  so  richly  that  you  could  see 
they  were  becoming  fit  to  dwell  with  God ;  for  when 
a  mind  has  become  thoroughly  scriptural  it  wants 
but  another  step  to  make  it  celestial.  And  the  last 
harvest  came,  and  the  last  gleanings  of  their  precious 
words,  and  when  next  we  went  that  way  their  place 
knew  them  no  longer.  They  were  flourishing  in  the 
courts  of  God's  house  on  high,  and  we  should  sit 
under  their  shadow  and  be  regaled  by  their  goodness 
no  more.  But  when  we  recollected  how  fair  their 
Christian  profession  was,  how  beneficent  and  service- 
able they  had  ever  been,  and  remembered  that  their 
last  days  were  their  brightest,  and  their  last  fruits 
their  fairest,  we  said  over  to  ourselves,  "  The  right- 
eous shall  flourish  like  the  palm  tree.  Those  that 
be  planted  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  shall  flourish  in 
the  courts  of  our  God.  They  shall  bring  forth  fruit 
in  old  age ;  they  shall  be  fat  and  flourishing;  to  show 
that  the  Lord  is  upright ;  he  is  my  Rock,  and  there 
is  no  unrighteousness  in  him." 

Dear  Christian  reader,  when  your  own  ear  cannot 
hear  it,  may  this  be  your  eulogy :  when  your  own  eye 
cannot  read  it,  may  this  be  your  epitaph.     In  the 

14 


106  NEABING  HOME. 

meanwhile,  for  the  sake  of  that  Saviour  who  is  dis- 
honoured by  proud  and  selfish  and  unlovely  disci- 
ples, do  you  strive  and  pray  for  consistency.  And 
for  your  own  soul's  sake,  which  is  dulled  by  defective 
views,  and  depressed  by  each  besetting  sin,  do  you 
seek  a  serene  and  lofty  faith — do  you  covet  earnestly 
a  blameless  conversation.  Let  your  triumphs  over 
self,  and  your  high-hearted  zeal  for  the  Saviour,  let 
the  largeness  of  your  spirit  and  your  heavenly  ele- 
vation, let  the  exuberance  of  your  goodness  and  the 
multitude  of  its  special  acts,  let  the  fulness  of  your 
affections  and  the  freshness  of  your  feelings,  and  the 
abundance  of  your  beneficence,  make  the  Christian 
manifest  and  unmistakable.  Let  your  happy  piety 
be  the  far-eyed  signal  announcing  an  oasis  in  the 
desert,  and  pray  that  your  church  or  congregation 
may  become  to  weary  pilgrims  another  Elim,  where 
when  they  came  they  found  "  twelve  wells  of  water, 
and  threescore  and  ten  palm  trees." 


mob,  mg  ffismfcinj  mo$. 

JAMES  W.  ALEXANDER,   D.   D. 

Psalm  xliii.  4. 

Eakly  my  spirit  turned 

From  earthly  things  away, 
And  agonized  and  yearned 

For  the  eternal  day ; 
Dimly  I  saw  when  but  a  boy, 
God,  my  exceeding  joy. 

In  days  of  fiercer  flame, 

When  passion  urged  me  on, 

'Twas  only  bliss  in  name — 
The  pleasure  soon  was  gone. 

Compared  with  thee  how  all  things  cloy, 

God,  my  exceeding  joy ! 

At  length  the  moment  came — 
Jesus  made  known  his  love ; 

High  shot  the  kindling  flame 
To  glories  all  above, 

107 


108  NEABING  HOME. 

Now  all  the  powers  one  theme  employ 
God,  my  exceeding  joy. 

Shadows  came  on  apace  ; 

Tears  were  a  pensive  shower ; 
I  cried  for  timely  grace 

To  save  me  from  the  hour  ; 
Thou  gavest  peace,  without  alloy  ; 
God,  my  exceeding  joy. 

One  trial  yet  awaits, 

Gigantic  at  the  close  ; 
All  that  my  spirit  hates 

May  then  my  peace  oppose  ; 
But  God  shall  this  last  foe  destroy, — 
God,  my  exceeding  joy 


%,  Mumt  in  tlje  ^anir, 

HANNAH   F.  GOULD. 

Alone  I  walked  the  ocean  strand, 
A  pearly  shell  was  in  my  hand  ; 
I  stooped,  and  wrote  upon  the  sand 

My  name — the  year — the  day ; 
As  onward  from  the  spot  I  passed, 
One  lingering  look  behind  I  cast — 
A  wave  came  rolling  high  and  fast, 

And  washed  my  lines  away. 

And  so,  methought,  'twill  shortly  be 
With  every  mark  on  earth  from  me  ; 
A  wave  of  dark  oblivion's  sea 

Will  sweep  across  the  place 
Where  I  have  trod  the  sandy  shore 
Of  time,  and  been,  to  be  no  more ; 
Of  me,  my  frame,  the  name  I  bore, 

To  leave  no  track  nor  trace. 

And  yet,  with  him  who  counts  the  sands, 
And  holds  the  waters  in  his  hands, 

109 


110  NEARINO  EOME, 

I  know  a  lasting  record  stands 

Inscribed  against  my  name, 
Of  all  this  mortal  part  has  wrought, 
Of  all  this  thinking  soul  has  thought, 
And  from  these  fleeting  moments  caught 
For  glory  or  for  shame ! 


§till  toill  toe  Sntst 

WILLIAM    H.   BURLEIGH. 

Still  will  we  trust,  though  earth  seem  dark  and 
dreary, 
And  the  heart  faint  beneath  his  chastening  rod  ; 
Though  rough  and   steep  our  pathway,  worn   and 
weary, 

Still  will  we  trust  in  God ! 

Our  eyes  see  dimly  till  by  faith  anointed, 

And  our  blind  choosing  brings  us  grief  and  pain ; 
Through  Him  alone  who  hath  our  way  appointed 
We  find  our  peace  again. 

Choose  for  us,  God  ! — nor  let  our  weak  preferring 

Cheat  our  poor  souls  of  good  thou  hast  designed ; 
Choose  for  us,  God ! — thy  wisdom  is  unerring, 
And  we  are  fools  and  blind. 

So  from  our  sky  the  night  shall  furl  her  shadows, 

And  day  pour  gladness  through  his  golden  gates ; 

Our  rough  path  leads  to  flower-enamelled  meadows, 

Where  joy  our  coming  waits. 

111 


112  HEARING  HOME. 

Let  us  press  on  in  patient  self-denial, 

Accept  the  hardship,  shrinking  not  from  loss — 
Our  guerdon  lies  beyond  the  hour  of  trial ; 
Our  crown  beyond  the  cross. 


&  fytosystt  of  Mcztbm. 

ISAAC    WATTS,   D.   D. 

There  is  a  land  of  pure  delight, 
Where  saints  immortal  reign  ; 

Infinite  clay  excludes  the  night, 
And  pleasures  banish  pain. 

There  everlasting  spring  abides, 
And  never-withering  flow'rs ; 

Death,  like  a  narrow  sea,  divides 
This  heavenly  land  from  ours. 

Sweet  fields  beyond  the  swelling  flood 
Stand  dressed  in  living  green  ; 

So  to  the  Jews  old  Caanan  stood, 
While  Jordan  rolled  between. 

But  timorous  mortals  start  and  shrink 

To  cross  this  narrow  sea ; 
And  linger,  shivering  on  the  brink, 

And  fear  to  launch  away. 

15  113 


114        •  NEARTNG  HOME. 

Oil  could  we  make  our  doubts  remove — 
Those  gloomy  doubts  that  rise — 

And  see  the  Caanan  that  we  love 
With  unbeclouded  eyes ; 

Could  we  but  climb  where  Moses  stood, 

And  view  the  landscape  o'er, 
"Not  Jordan's  stream,  nor  death's  cold  flood, 

Should  fright  us  from  the  shore. 


J|0ttttS£ls    t0    %    !$*&• 

ARCHIBAL.'   ALEXANDER,    D.   D. 

As  an  aged  man,  I  would  say  to  my  fellow-pilgrims 
who  are  also  in  this  advanced  stage  of  the  journey 
of  life,  endeavour  to  be  useful  as  long  as  you  are 
continued  upon  earth.  We  are,  it  is  true,  subject  to 
many  peculiar  infirmities,  both  of  body  and  mind,  to 
bear  up  under  which  requires  much  exertion,  and  no 
small  share  of  divine  assistance ;  but  still  we  have 
some  advantages  not  possessed  by  the  young.  We 
have  received  important  lessons  from  experience, 
which,  if  they  have  been  rightly  improved,  are  of 
inestimable  value.  The  book  of  divine  providence, 
which  is  in  a  great  measure  sealed  to  them,  has  been 
unfolded  to  us.  We  can  look  back  and  contemplate 
all  the  way  along  which  the  Lord  has  led  us.  We 
can  now  see  the  wise  design  of  our  Father  in  many 
events  which,  at  the  time,  were  dark  and  mysterious. 
The  knowledge  to  be  derived  from  studying  the  book 
of    God's   providence   cannot   be   communicated    to 

115 


116  neXbinq  home. 

another  ;  the  lessons  are  like  the  name  upon  the  white 
stone,  which  none  can  read  but  he  that  has  it.  The 
successive  events  of  our  lives  we  can  make  known, 
hut  the  connection  which  these  events  have  with  our 
character,  our  sins,  and  our  prayers  can  be  fully 
understood  only  by  ourselves.  He  who  neglects  to 
study  the  pages  of  this  book  deprives  himself  of  one 
most  important  means  of  improvement;  yet  many 
professors  of  religion  appear  to  pay  little  or  no  atten- 
tion to  the  providence  of  God  in  relation  to  them- 
selves. If  they  meet  with  some  severe  judgment  or 
some  great  deliverance,  their  attention  is  arrested, 
and  they  acknowledge  the  hand  of  God  in  the  dispen- 
sation ;  but  as  to  the  succession  of  ordinary  events, 
they  seem  to  have  no  practical  belief  that  they  are 
ordered  by  divine  providence,  or  have  any  important 
relation  to  their  duty  or  interest.  I  would  affection- 
ately entreat  my  aged  brethren  to  make  the  dealings 
of  God's  providence  towards  themselves  a  subject  of 
careful  study.  There  is  within  our  reach,  except  in 
the  Bible,  no  source  of  instruction  more  important. 
And  to  aid  you  in  this  business  permit  me  to  recom- 
mend to  your  careful  perusal  two  little  volumes  on 
Providence,  which  I  have  found  useful  and  comfort- 
able to  myself.  The  first  is  Havel's  "Mystery  of 
Providence    Opened ;"    and   the    other   is   Boston's 


COUNSELS  TO  THE  AGED.  117 

"Crook  in  the  Lot.''  These  excellent  treatises  may 
be  read  over  and  over  again  with  profit.  Perhaps 
the  best  method  of  studying  such  books  is,  not  to  read 
the  whole  at  once,  or  in  a  short  time,  but  to  peruse  a 
few  paragraphs  at  a  time,  and  then  reflect  upon  the 
subject,  and  make  application  of  what  we  read  to  our 
own  case.  And  while  I  am  recommending  works  on 
this  subject  I  ought  not  to  omit  mentioning  Char- 
nock's  treatise  on  "  Providence."  I  confess  I  am  not 
so  familiar  with  this  as  the  treatises  before  mentioned, 
but  I  have  found  his  other  writings,  especially  those 
on  the  Divine  Attributes,  so  surpassing  in  excellence 
that  I  feel  willing  to  recommend  any  thing  which  ever 
proceeded  from  his  pen. 

I  began  this  letter  with  an  exhortation  to  endeav- 
our to  be  useful  while  you  live.  To  comply  with 
this  you  should,  in  the  first  place,  guard  vigilantly 
against  tljose  faults  and  foibles  into  which  old  people 
are  apt  to  fall.  We  must  be  careful  not  to  mistake 
moroseness  for  seriousness,  austerity  for  gravity,  or 
discontent  with  our  condition  for  deadness  to  the 
world. 

Why  should  the  aged  be  more  peevish  and  morose 
than  others  ?  If  they  are  pious,  there  can  be  no  good 
reason  for  it ;  but  it  is  not  difficult  to  account  for  the 
fact.     In  the  decline  of  life  a  gradual  change  takes 


118  XEABING  HOME. 

place  in  our  physical  system  by  which  the  mind  is 
considerably  affected ;  and  often  positive  disease  is 
added  to  this  natural  change.  The  nervous  system 
is  debilitated  and  shattered ;  and  in  consequence  the 
spirits  are  apt  to  sink  or  to  become  irregular.  To 
these  may  be  added  the  afflictions  and  disappoint- 
ments  which  most  experience  in  the  course  of  a  long- 
life,  by  which  the  temper  is  apt  to  be  soured.  And 
when  men,  by  reason  of  the  decay  of  mind  and  body, 
become  disqualified  for  the  same  active  services  which 
thfey  were  long  accustomed  to  perform,  and  these  fall 
into  the  hands  of  juniors,  whom  they  knew  when 
children,  it  is  very  natural  to  feel  as  if  the  world  was 
turning  round — as  if  every  thing  was  going  wrong. 
Old  men  have  always  been  wont  to  laud  the  times, 
long  past,  when  they  were  young,  and  to  censure  all 
the  innovations  which  have  come  in  since.  Some- 
times, also,  the  aged  experience  a  neglect  .from  the 
young,  and  even  a  want  of  respect  from  their  own 
children,  which  is  exceedingly  mortifying,  and  tends 
much  to  foster  that  acerbity  of  temper  so  frequently 
found  in  the  aged. 

But  although  these  and  other  similar  things  may 
be  truly  pleaded  in  extenuation  of  the  fault  under 
consideration,  yet  they  do  by  no  means  amount  to 
an  apology  which  exculpates  us  from  blame.     And 


COUNSELS  TO   THE  AGED.  119 

that  old  age  is  not  necessarily  accompanied  by  these 
un  ami  able  traits  of  character  is  proved  by  many 
happy  examples.  Some  aged  persons  exhibit  an 
uniform  cheerfulness  and  serenity  of  mind ;  and  the 
remarkable  fact  has  been  recorded  in  regard  to  a  few 
that  a  naturally  irritable  temper  has  been  softened 
arid  mellowed,  instead  of  being  exacerbated  by  old 
age.  If  I  recollect  rightly,  this  is  mentioned  as  true 
in  relation  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Rodgers  of  New  York  by 
his  biographer,  my  respected  colleague,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Miller.  The  late  venerable  Dr.  Livingston,  of  the 
Du;ch  Reformed  Church,  President  of  their  College 
and  Seminary,  was  distinguished  by  uniform  cheer  - 
fuln3ss  to  a  very  advanced  age ;  and  his  cordial  and 
affectionate  manners  were  remarked  and  felt  by  all 
who  approached  him.  The  Rev.  John  Newton,  of 
London,  seems  to  have  possessed,  with  large  mea- 
sures of  divine  grace,  a  very  happy  physical  tem- 
perament. It  is  delightful  to  contemplate  the  old 
age  of  such  a  man.  And  while  I  am  mentioning 
recorded  examples  of  a  temper  in  old  age  deserving 
of  imitation,  I  would  recall  to  the  remembrance  of 
my  readers  the  case  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  Scott, 
who,  at  a  period  of  life  when  most  men  relinquish 
all  severe  labour,  actually  undertook  to  learn  the 
Arabic   language,  that   he   might  be   able   to   give 


120  NEARING  HOME. 

instruction  to  the  missionaries  going  to  the  East 
It  has  often  been  noticed  that  piety  is  apt  to  decline 
with  the  decline  of  manly  vigour.  If  this  be  really 
a  common  event,  it  is  exceedingly  to  be  deplored. 
But  perhaps  it  is  more  in  appearance  than  reality. 
It  requires  much  stronger  faith  and  feelings  of 
warmer  piety  to  enable  an  old  man  to  go  forward  in 
his  course  with  zeal  and  alacrity  than  for  a  young 
man,  who  is  buoyed  up  and  borne  along  by  the  vigour 
of  youthful  passions,  to  do  the  same.  But  I  rejoice 
to  know  that  piety  does  not  always  even  appear  to 
grow  cold  by  the  descent  into  the  vale  of  years.  In 
some  Christians  it  evidently  goes  on  advancing ;  and 
their  growth  in  grace  is  much  more  rapid  in  this 
period  of  life  than  any  other.  As  they  approach 
nearer  to  heaven,  their  hearts  and  their  conversation 
are  more  in  heaven.  Oh  that  it  might  be  thus  with  us 
all !  As  these  letters  are  intended  also  for  my  aged 
friends  of  the  female  sex,  I  would  recommend  to 
their  notice  and  imitation  the  old  age  of  Mrs.  Han- 
nah More.  From  her  first  appearance  as  a  Christian 
she  seems  to  have  gone  on  advancing  in  evangelical 
knowledge  and  ardent  piety  until  she  was  com- 
pletely superannuated.  And  even  then  she  lost  no- 
thing of  the  respect  and  affection  which  by  her  pious 
and  benevolent  labours  she  had   gained:  for  still, 


COUNSELS  TO   THE  AGED.  121 

when  her  memory  was  so  impaired  that  she  did  not 
remember  the  books  she  had  written;  the  elevation 
of  her  piety  and  the  enlargement  of  her  benevolence 
remained  unimpaired.  And  it  is  truly  a  delightful 
thought  that  when  in  the  wreck  of  mind  the  whole 
cargo  of  knowledge  seems  to  be  lost,  and  parents  no 
longer  recognize  their  own  children,  religion,  where 
it  was  possessed,  still  remains.  Jesus  Christ  is 
never  forgotten.  Pious  sentiments  are  never  ob- 
literated. Cicero  in  his  beautiful  little  treatise  on 
Old  Age,  in  which  many  judicious  and  pleasing  sen- 
timents are  expressed,  when  speaking  of  the  decay  of 
the  memory,  says  that  he  never  heard  of  a  miser 
forgetting  the  place  where  he  had  buried  his  treasure. 
What  the  mind  prizes  most  is  longest  retained  in 
memory.  It  is  often  remarked,  and  justly,  "  How 
beautiful  does  unaffected  piety  appear  in  youth!" 
But  it  may  as  truly  be  said,  "  How  amiable  and  vene- 
rable is  exalted  piety  in  old  age  I" 

It  has  been  said  that  avarice  is  peculiarly  the  sin 
of  age ;  we  often  hear  of  an  old,  but  scarcely  ever  of 
a  young,  miser.  This  may  be  true  in  regard  to  those 
who  have  cherished  the  love  of  the  world  all  their 
lives.  They  will  hug  their  treasures  with  a  closer 
grasp,  and  their  affections  will  be  more  concentrated 
on  them  when  other  objects  are  removed ;   but  this 

16 


122  NEABINQ  HOME. 

vice  does  not  originate  in  old  age ;  it  is  only  the  ma 
ture  fruit  of  the  seed  planted  in  early  life;  and  though 
it  becomes  deeply  radicated  in  old  age,  it  is  not  now 
so  much  the  desire  of  acquiring  wealth  as  of  holding 
fast  what  they  have  got.  The  folly  of  the  miser  who 
hoards  his  money  without  a  thought  of  using  it  is 
easily  shown,  and  has  often  been  ridiculed.  But  the 
truth  is,  that  all  ardent  pursuit  of  worldly  objects 
beyond  what  is  necessary  for  the  real  wants  of  nature 
might  be  demonstrated  to  be  equally  absurd.  But 
whatever  men  of  the  world  may  do,  let  not  Christians 
dishonour  their  holy  profession  by  an  inordinate  love 
of  the  world.  Especially,  let  not  the  aged  professor 
bring  into  doubt  the  sincerity  of  his  religion  by 
manifesting  a  covetous  disposition.  "  Take  heed," 
said  the  Great  Teacher,  "and  beware  of  covetousness ; 
for  a  man's  life  consisteth  not  in  the  abundance  of  the 
things  which  he  possesseth."  Many  begin  the  world 
with  little,  and  the  claims  of  an  increasing  family 
render  it  necessary  to  exercise  much  diligence  and 
economy  to  make  a  living ;  but  thus  it  often  happens 
that  an  avaricious  disposition  under  the  semblance 
of  necessity,  and  even  of  duty,  strikes  its  roots  deep 
into  the  soul  ere  the  man  is  aware  of  any  danger. 
Indeed,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  convince  a  man  of 
the  sin  of  covetousness  while  he  avoids  open  acts  of 


COUNSELS  TO   THE  AGED.  123 

injustice  or  fraud.  Dear  friends,  it  is  time  for  many 
of  you  to  give  up  the  further  pursuit  of  wealth,  un- 
less your  object  is  to  acquire  the  means  of  doing  good. 
But  beware  of  the  deceitful n ess  of  the  heart.  Covet- 
ousness  will  allow  you  to  promise  such  an  appropriation 
of  your  gains.  But  put  yourselves  to  the  test  by  a  sim- 
ple experiment.  Ask  yourselves  whether  you  are  now 
willing  to  make  that  use  of  the  property  which  God 
has  given  you  that  his  honour  and  the  advancement 
of  Christ's  kingdom  require.  If  you  indeed  find  in 
yourself  that  disposition  to  consecrate  all  that  you 
have  to  the  glory  of  God,  then  it  may  be  lawful  to  go 
on  to  acquire  further  means  of  usefulness.  But 
whatever  you  now  possess,  or  may  hereafter  acquire, 
of  this  world's  goods,  for  your  soul's  sake  set  not 
your  affections  on  these  perishable  things.  Be  not 
proud  of  your  wealth.  Neglect  not  while  you  live 
to  do  good  and  communicate.  Remember  that  you 
are  but  the  steward  of  the  wealth  which  you  possess, 
and  therefore  it  is  required  of  you  to  be  faithful  in 
the  distribution  of  what  is  put  into  your  hands.  If 
you  have  tried  the  plan  of  parsimony  lest  you  should 
lessen  your  estate,  now  try  the  plan  of  wise  liberality, 
and  see  whether  that  saying  of  Christ  is  not  verified 
by  experience,  that  "It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than 
to  receive." 


124  HEARING  1ICME. 

Whether  in  the  former  periods  of  our  lives  we 
have  had  prosperity  or  have  passed  through  the  deep 
waters  of  affliction,  it  is  nearly  certain  that  in  our 
old  age  we  shall  feel  the  strokes  of  adversity.  If  our 
friends  have  been  preserved  in  life  thus  far,  yet  we 
know  they  must  all  die.  If  hitherto  we  have  enjoyed 
uninterrupted  health,  yet  now  we  must  expect  to  en- 
counter pain  and  disease.  Old  age  itself  may  be 
called  the  common  disease  of  our  nature,  which  can 
only  be  escaped  by  death.  Mr.  Newton,  in  one  of 
his  last  letters,  says  that  he  had  but  one  disease,  but 
that  was  incurable,  which  was  old  age.  Then,  my 
dear  friends,  let  us  set  an  example  of  patience  and 
cheerful  resignation  under  the  afflictions  which  may 
be  laid  upon  us.  The  passive  virtues  are  more  diffi- 
cult to  be  exercised  than  the  active,  and  God  is  per- 
haps more  honoured  by  quiet  submission  to  his  will 
under  sufferings  than  by  the  greatest  achievements 
of  zeal  and  exertion.  But  let  us  never  forget  that 
we  have  not  the  least  strength  in  ourselves.  We  are 
dependent  on  the  grace  of  God  for  every  good  thought 
and  desire.  But  if  we  trust  in  him  we  shall  never 
be  ashamed. 


Mtnnt  ta  jp**. 

MISS    SARAH    F.   ADAMS. 

uAs  the  hart  panteth  after  the  water-brooks,  so  panteth  my  soul  after 
thee,  0  God. 

"My  soul  thirsteth  for  God,  for  the  living  God:  when  shall  I  come 
and  appear  before  God?" — Psa.  xlii.  1,  2. 

"  Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee — 
Nearer  to  thee !" 
E'en  though  it  be  a  cross 

That-raiseth  me ; 

Still  all  my  song  shall  be, 

"  Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee — 

Nearer  to  thee !" 

Though  like  a  wanderer,* 

The  sun  go  down — 
Darkness  comes  over  me, 

My  rest  a  stone ; 
Yet,  in  my  dreams  I'd  be 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee — 

Nearer  to  thee ! 

*  See  Gen.  xxviii.  10-22. 

125 


126  NEARING  HOME. 

There  let  my  way  appear 
Steps  unto  heaven ; 

All  that  thou  senclest  me 
In  mercy  given ; 

Angels  to  beckon  me 

Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee — 
Nearer  to  thee ! 

Then,  with  my  waking  thoughts 
Bright  with  thy  praise, 

Out  of  my  stony  griefs 
Bethel  I'll  raise ; 

So  by  my  woes  to  be 

Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee — 
Nearer  to  thee ! 

And  when  on  joyful  wing, 
Cleaving  the  sky, 

Sun,  moon,  and  stars  forgot, 
Upward  I  fly, 

Still  all  my  song  shall  be, 

"  Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee — 

Nearer  to  thee !" 


Mg  8*st  is  in  mtttbtxt. 

ANONYMOUS. 

"  Here  we  have  no  continuing  city,  but  we  seek  one  to  come." — Heb. 

xiii.  ]4. 

My  rest  is  in  heaven,  my  rest  is  not  here ; 
Then  why  should  I  tremble  when  trials  are  near? 
Be  hushed,  my  sad  spirit;  the  worst  that  can  come* 
But  shortens  thy  journey,  and  hastens  thee  home. 

It  is  not  for  me  to  be  seeking  my  bliss 
And  building  my  hopes  in  a  region  like  this ; 
I  look  for  a  city  which  hands  have  not  piled — 
I  pant  for  a  country  by  sin  undefiled. 

The  thorn  and  the  thistle  around  me  may  grow — 

I  would  not  lie  down  e'en  on  roses  below ; 

I  ask  not  my  portion,  I  seek  not  a  rest, 

Till  I  find  them  for  ever  on  Jesus'  loved  breast. 

Let  trial  and  danger  my  progress  oppose, 
They  only  make  heaven  more  sweet  at  the  close ; 
Come  joy,  or  come  sorrow,  whate'er  may  befall ; 
A  home  with  my  God  will  make  up  for  it  all. 

127 


128  NEARING  HOME. 

With  a  scrip  on  my  back,  and  a  staff  in  my  hand, 
I  march  on  in  haste  through  an  enemy's  land ; 
The  road  may  be  rough,  but  it  cannot  be  long, 
So  I'll  smooth  it  with  hope  and  cheer  it  with  song. 


Ije  fifjrohw  of  mjj  jfooyt. 


WILLIAM    COWPER. 


My   Saviour,  whom  absent  I  love, 

Whom,  not  having  seen,  I  adore, 
Whose  name  is  exalted  above 

All  glory,  dominion,  and  pow'r, — 
Dissolve  thou  those  bands  that  detain 

My  soul  from  her  portion  in  thee ; 
Ah !  strike  off  this  adamant  chain, 

And  make  me  eternally  free. 

When  that  happy  era  begins, 

When  clothed  in  thy  glories  I  shine, 
Nor  grieve  any  more  by  my  sins 

The  bosom  on  which  I  recline. 
Oh  then  shall  the  veil  be  removed, 

And  round  me  thy  brightness  be  poured 
I'll  meet  him,  whom  absent  I  loved — 

I'll  see,  whom  unseen  I  adored. 

And  then  nevermore  shall  the  fears, 
The  trials,  temptations  and  woes, 

17  129 


130  HEARING  HOME. 

Which  darken  this  valley  of  tears, 
Intrude  on  my  blissful  repose ; 

To  Jesus,  the  crown  of  my  hope, 
My  soul  is  in  haste  to  be  gone ; 

Oh  bear  me,  ye  cherubim,  up, 
And  waft  me  away  to  his  throne. 


i0tne  in  tSlieto, 


REV.  JOHN    NEWTON. 


As  when  some  weary  trav'ller  gains 
The  height  of  some  o'erlooking  hill, 

His  heart  revives,  if  cross  the  plains 
He  eyes  his  home,  though  distant  still. 

While  he  surveys  the  much-lov'd  spot, 
He  slights  the  space  that  lies  between ; 

His  past  fatigues  are  now  forgot, 
Because  his  journey's  end  is  seen. 

Thus  when  the  Christian  pilgrim  views, 
By  faith,  his  mansion  in  the  skies, 

The  sight  his  fainting  strength  renews 
And  wings  his  speed  to  reach  the  prize. 

The  thought  of  home  his  spirit  cheers, 
No  more  he  grieves  for  troubles  past ; 

Nor  any  future  trial  fears, 
So  he  may  safe  arrive  at  last. 

131 


132  HEARING  HOME. 

'Tis  there,  he  says,  I  am  to  dwell 
With- Jesus,  in  the  realms  of  day; 

Then  I  shall  bid  my  cares  farewell, 
And  he  will  wipe  my  tears  away. 

Jesus,  on  thee  our  hope  depends, 
To  lead  us  on  to  thine  abode : 

Assur'd  our  homo  will  make  amends 
For  all  our  toil  while  on  the  road. 


teWntttj  Uitnt. 

JAMES    MONTGOMERY. 

Zecliariah  xiv.  7. 

At  evening  time  let  there  be  light: — 
Life's  little  clay  draws  near  its  close  ; 

Around  me  fall  the  shades  of  night, 
The  night  of  death,  the  grave's  repose; 
To  crown  my  joys,  to  end  my  woes, 

At  evening  time  let  there  be  light. 

At  evening  time  let  there  be  light : — 
•Stormy  and  dark  hath  been  my  day ; 

Yet  rose  the  morn  benignly  bright, 

Dews,  birds  and  flowers  cheer'd  all  the  way; 
Oh  for  one  sweet,  one  parting  ray! 

At  evening  time  let  there  be  light. 

At  evening  time  there  shall  be  light : — 
For  God  hath  said,  "So  let  it  be !" 

Fear,  doubt,  and  anguish  take  their  flight ; 
His  glory  now  is  risen  on  me ; 
Mine  eyes  shall  his  salvation  see : 

'Tis  evening  time,  and  there  is  light. 

133 


Susbanb  to  Wife, 

ON   ATTAINING   A   HALF   CENTURY. 

JOHN    M.   LOWRIE.   D.   D, 

I  eemember,  you  remember,  the  days  when  first  we 

met: 
Those  cheerful,  pleasant  hours  of  youth  we  never  can 

forget ; 
And  this  our  happiness  was  then,  our  happiness  is 

now, — 
No  purer  source  of  joy  and  peace  is  given  man  to 

know, — 
That  far  above  all  earthly  thoughts  we  had  a  common 

Friend, 
A  glorious  Friend,  around  whose  throne  the  hosts  of 

heaven  bend, 
Yet  dwells  on  earth  the  meek  to  bless,  the  humble  to 

renew ; 
We  knew  each  other  better  then,  because  we  knew 

him  too. 

134 


HUSBAND   TO    WIFE.  135 

I  remember,  you  remember,  how  then  we  loved  to 

trace, 
With  thankful  hearts,  yet  now  as  then,  the  leadings 

of  his  grace; 
For  what  were  we  that  wrath  should  stay  our  guilty 

souls  to  spare  ? 
Or  why  should  we  in  grace  so  rich  obtain  the  mean- 
est share  ? 
And  now,  we  trust  with  firmer  faith,  we  bow  around 

his  seat, 
As   then   to  seek  his  guardian  hand  to  guide  our 

erring  feet ; 
For  still,  as  then,  we  walk  by  faith,  observing  his 

command, 
And  fall  or  falter  save  as  he  still  holds  us  by  the  hand. 

I  remember,  you  remember,  in  days  of  gloom  and  grief, 
We've  shared  their  pains  when  we  could  find  in  him 

alone  relief; 
We  knew  they  came  at  his  command,  we  learned  to 

bless  him  still, 
To  bow  before  his  sovereign  hand,  submissive  to  his 

will : 
And  this  upheld  us  many  times  when  flesh  and  heart 

grew  faint — 
The  cross  and  Calvary  are  still  the  strength  of  every 

saint — 


136  NEABING  HOME. 

That  lie  was  called  this  path  to  tread,  this  bitter  cup 

to  drink  ; 
Should  we  not  taste  the  griefs  from  which  our  Saviour 

did  not  shrink  ? 

I  remember,  you  remember,  how  little  then  we  thought 

Of  anxious  cares,  dejecting  fears,  these  later  years 
have  brought ; 

Though  we  had  heard  the  world  was  cold — and 
thought  we  knew  it  too — 

Yet  sad  experience  impressed  the  lessons  all  anew ; 

But  when  our  busy  memory  would  the  varied  past 
recall, 

With  few  regrets  our  thankful  hearts  would  now  re- 
view them  all ; 

For  ours  has  been  a  happy  life,  for  every  toil  repaid, 

"  An  hundred  fold  e'en  in  this  life" — the  Master's 
lips  have  said. 

And  we  have  learned,  have  fully  learned,  that  all  the 

toil  and  strife 
Of  these  our  changing  years  were  but  the  discipline 

of  life; 
When  friends  that  promised  fair  have  changed  to 

coldness  and  neglect, 
When  flaming  pious  zeal  has  cooled   and  lost  our 

warm  respect, 


HUSBAND   TO    WIFE.  137 

When  hopes  of  good  in  youthful  hearts  have  van- 
ished as  the  dew — 

Such  disappointments,  ever  met,  yet  still  seemed 
ever  new — 

When  death  removed  our  best-tried  friends  to  dwell 
before  his  face, 

While  we,  alas !  were  left  to  mourn  with  none  to  fill 
their  place  : 

Then  have  we  learned,  full  well  have  learned — not 

only  on  one  leaf, 
But  written  clear  on  every  page  in  plain  and  bold 

relief — 
That  though  our  souls  have  often  felt  discouraged  by 

the  way, 
When  rolling  seas  have  tossed,  or  naught  but  deserts 

round  us  lay, 
That  still  was  ours  a  chosen  way — the  pathway  of 

our  God — 
That  wisdom  chose  out  every  grief,  and  mercy  every 

rod; 
And  not  one  day,  to  cheer  us  still,  did  manna  fail  to 

fall ; 
And  every  h<uvr  of  day  and  night  the  cloud  was  over 

all! 

18 


138  NEARING  HOME. 

And  we  have  learned,  have  partly  learned,  too  much 
like  them  of  old ! 

Forgive,  0  Lord,  our  unbelief  and  murmurings  un- 
told ! 

The  lessons  which  thy  holy  law  from  Sinai's  summit 
gave, 

And  later  lessons  of  thy  word  of  him  who  came  to 
save; 

And  not  in  vain — our  life-long  joy — and  when  our 
life  is  o'er, 

Our  nobler  song  with  nobler  tongues  through  ages 
evermore ; 

The  song  of  all  the  Church  of  God  when  gathered 
round  his  throne, 

Redeemed  from  sin,  redeemed  by  blood  of  the  Incar- 
nate Son. 


So  have  we  learned,  have  humbly  learned,  whatever 

be  our  lot, 
That  though  deep  darkness  shrouds  his  ways,  we 

comprehend  them  not, 
'Tis  ours  to  walk  as  duty  bids,  to  find  each  daily 

care, 
A  joy  which  we  may  win,  or  else  a  cross  that  we  must 

bear; 


HUSBAND   TO    WIFE.  139 

In  either  case  his  love  may  make  the  small  or  great 

impart 
A  portion   of    his   grace  to  bless   and   purify  the 

heart ; 
And  thus  we  grow  in  faith  and  love,  in  fitness  too  for 

heaven, 
By  daily  cares,  all  from  above,  just  like  the  manna, 

given. 

And  I  believe,  as  you  believe,  that  nothing  has  been 

lost 
Of  all  these  lessons,  oft  impressed,  at  so  severe  a 

cost; 
We  needed  each  chastising  blow  the  Father's  hand 

has  laid, 
His  strokes  "  according  to  our  sins"  his  wrath  has 

never  made : 
And  though  it  may  be  we  have  failed  to  gather  all 

we  might, 
To  see  the  reasons  of  his  love,  to  learn  the  way  of 

right, 
Yet  slowly,  oft  unconsciously,  his   providence  has 

wrought 
To  change  our  plans,  our  sympathies,  our  very  modes 

of  thought. 


140  HEARING  HOME. 

For  we  believe,  with  joy  believe,  that  every  passing 

year, 
Has  better  fitted  us   for  life  and  for   life's  duties 

here ; 
For  though  we  do  not  yet  confess  we  pass  down  life's 

decline — 
Though  failing  health  may  seem  to  make  the  sun  less 

clearly  shine — 
Yet  hearts  as  warm  for  Christ's  dear  cause  within 

our  breasts  beat  still, 
And  minds  as  clear  to  read  his  word  and  study  out 

his  will ; 
And  so  the  past  has  left  its  wealth  that  we  may  richer 

prove, 
To  speak  more  wisely  of  his  truth,  more  kindly  of 

his  love. 


And  I  believe,  as  you  believe,  that  in  these  days  by- 
past, 

The  seed  so  freely  scattered  wide  has  not  in  vain 
been  cast ; 

Some  have  we  seen  spring  up  and  fade  e'er  summer's 
sun  grew  old, 

But  some  has  also  borne  its  fruit,  full  to  the  hundred 
fold; 


HUSBAND   TO    WIFE.  141 

And  faith  assures  us  that  good  seed,  which  fell  we 

knew  not  where, 
Left  to  the  smiles  and  rains  of  heaven,  of  Providence 

the  care, 
Has  brought  forth  fruit ;   no  man  can  tell  how  far, 

how  long,  may  spread, 
Though  planted  by  an  infant's  hand,,  the  increase  of 

one  seed. 

And  I  believe,  as  you  believe,  this  life  must  soon  be 

gone ; 
Our  battles  soon  be  fought,  our  crown  for  ever  lost  or 

won. 
We  hope  that  in  that  trial- day  our  ears  may  hear  his 

word : 
"  Well  done,  good  servants,  share  the  joy  for  ever  of 

your  Lord ;" 
Yet  in  that  gladsome  hour  our  lips  shall  thankfully 

confess, 
"  Not  unto  us,  0  Lord,  but  to  thy  mercy  and  thy 

grace:'" 
But   anxious  fears  and   pains   and  sins  and  death 

itself  shall  cease, 
While  with  the  ransomed  by  his  blood  we'll  taste  his 

perfect  peace. 


o  an  llAcb  jBtnbelicber, 


WILLIAM    S.   PLUMER,   D.  D. 


Youk  life  thus  far  has  passed  rapidly  away.  You 
felt  surprise  when  you  heard  others  speak  of  you  as 
old.  Perhaps  even  now  you  easily  forget  that  you 
are  no  longer  young.  "  Gray  hairs  are  here  and 
there  upon  Ephraim,  yet  he  knoweth  it  not."  It 
seemed  hard  for  Samson  to  forget  the  feats  of  former 
days.  Even  when  shorn  of  his  strength  he  attempted 
new  exploits.  There  is  a  vanity  in  some  old  persons 
which  leads  them  to  ape  the  young.  Let  every  one 
act  as  best  becomes  his  age.  Paul  says :  "  When  I 
was  a  child,  I  spake  as  a  child,  I  understood  as  a 
child,  I  thought  as  a  child ;  but  when  I  became  a 
man,  I  put  away  childish  things."  It  is  a  pitiable 
sight  to  see  old  and  young  trying  to  take  each  other's 
places.  If  you  have  passed  middle  life,  admit  the 
fact  into  your  serious  thoughts. 

The  Bible  requires  reverence  for  the  aged.  "Thou 
shalt  rise  up  before  the  hoary  head."     I  approach 

142 


TO  AN  AGED   UNBELIEVER.  143 

you  with  the  greatest  respect.  "  I  have  a  message 
from  God  unto  thee."  I  wish  to  deliver  it  meekly, 
honestly,  and  solemnly.  I  beg  you  to  hear  it.  I 
will  use  neither  many  nor  vain  words. 

I  hope  you  believe  the  great  truths  of  the  Bible. 
If  you  doubt  any  of  them,  I  beseech  you  to  give 
yourself  to  prayer  and  to  the  word  of  God  itself,  that 
you  may  know  the  truth  and  be  persuaded  of  it.  An 
honest  desire  to  know  the  truth,  shown  by  prayer 
and  searching  the  Scriptures,  God  will  bless.  He 
can  teach  you  as  no  other  can.  Cry  mightily  to  him. 
Wisdom  comes  "from  above." 

No  doubt  you  have  sometimes  said,  "  Let  me  die 
the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my  last  end  be 
like  his."  But  do  not  your  actions  show  that  while 
you  would  die  the  death  of  the  righteous  you  are  not 
leading  his  life  ?  Remember,  you  have  a  soul.  To 
save  it  is  "  the  one  thing  needful."  He  who  is  poor, 
sick,  and  despised  may  save  his  soul,  and  so  be  happy 
for  ever.  He  who  is  rich,  strong,  and  full  of  all 
earthly  good  may  lose  his  soul,  and  so  be  eternally 
undone.  Because  it  is  immortal  the  soul  is  of  price- 
less value.  Many  have  undervalued  it.  None  ever 
thought  it  worth  more  than  it  is.  God  alone  can 
know  its  full  value.  JNTo  man  can  pay  a  ransom  for 
it,  for  its  redemption  is  precious..   To  save  it  God 


144  NEABING  HOME. 

gave  his  dear  Son.  To  save  it,  Jesus  wept,  and  bled, 
and  died.  To  save  it,  the  Holy  Spirit  calls  you  to 
repentance. 

If  you  are  not  a  true  Christian,  your  soul  is  now  in 
a  lost  condition.  So  the  Bible  teaches:  "The  soul  that 
sinneth,  it  shall  die;"  "Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all 
likewise  perish ;"  "  He  that  believeth  not  shall  be 
damned;"  "If  our  gospel  be  hid,  it  is  hid  to  them 
that  are  lost."  So  righteous  is  Grod,  and  so  holy  is 
his  law,  that  many  an  aged  person  has  felt  the  power 
of  a  fiery  condemnation  in  his  conscience  before  he 
left  this  world.  William  the  Conqueror,  of  England, 
was  a  great  king,  warrior,  and  statesman.  In  his 
last  days  he  wept,  he  groaned,  he  confessed,  but  no 
comfort  came.  He  said :  "  Laden  with  many  and 
grievous  sins,  I  tremble  ;  and  being  ready  to  be  taken 
soon  into  the  terrible  examination  of  God,  I  am  igno- 
rant what  I  should  do.  I  can  by  no  means  number 
the  evils  I  have  done  these  sixty  years,  for  which  I 
am  now  constrained,  without  stay,  to  render  an  ac- 
count to  the  just  Judge."  Many  a  monarch  has  died 
in  anguish  of  soul.  Neither  greatness  nor  obscurity 
can  shield  a  guilty  soul  from  the  terrors  of  the  Al- 
mighty. The  aged,  impenitent  pauper  has  groaned 
away  his  dying  breath  in  dismay  on  his  bed  of  straw. 
Through  life  men  .often  feel  that  they  are  not  at  peace 


TO  AN  AGED    UNBELIEVER.  145 

with  God,  and  dying  they  confess  it.  Death  is  com- 
monly, though  not  always,  an  honest  hour.  Some 
hold  out  false  signals  even  then,  though  riot  free  from 
fears  and  terrors.  At  that  trying  moment,  who  would 
not  prefer  hope  to  fear,  and  peace  to  dismay  ?  Yet 
without  a  change  of  heart  and  a  pardon  of  all  our 
sins  we  cannot  be  saved.  We  "  are  by  nature  the 
children  of  wrath,"  so  that  "he  that  believeth  not  is 
condemned  already."  If  you,  my  aged  friend,  have 
not  fled  to  Christ,  you  are  condemned,  you  are  lost. 

But  although  your  soul  is  lost,  it  is  not  lost  beyond 
recovery.  Blessed  be  God  for  that !  "  There  is  mercy 
with  God,  that  he  maybe  feared:"  "With  him  is 
plenteous  redemption :"  "As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord,  I 
have  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked ;  but  that 
the  wicked  turn  from  his  way  and  live ;  turn  ye,  turn 
ye  from  your  evil  ways,  for  why  will  ye  die  ?"  I  take 
up  the  words  and  repeat  the  question,  Why  will  you 
die  ?  Why  will  you  not  be  saved  ?  Will  you  not  be 
saved?  I  trust  you  will.  I  pray  you  may.  I  know 
that  by  divine  grace  you  can.  The  door  of  mercy  is 
yet  open,  open  to  you.  Though  you  have  sinned  long 
and  much  and  grievously  against  God,  yet  he  says  : 
"  To-day,  if  ye  will  hear  his  voice,  harden  not  your 
hearts."  For  many  years  you  thought  it  was  time 
enough  yet.     Possibly  this  day  your  soul  is  taken  in 

19 


146  NEARING  HOME. 

some  such  snare.  Stop  and  think,  I  pray  you.  Per- 
haps in  an  hour  God  may  say:  "  Thy  soul  is  required 
of  thee."  If  he  should,  would  you  not  be  undone  for 
ever  ?  You  know  that  men  commonly  die  as  they 
live ;  that  a  life  of  sin  is  the  forerunner  of  endless 
misery;  that  dying  regrets  are  a  poor  substitute  for  a 
life  of  holiness ;  and  that  a  death-bed  repentance  is 
little  to  be  trusted.  JSTo  wise  man  will  leave  to  his 
last  hours  the  proper  work  of  life. 

But  perhaps  you  think  it  is  now  too  late  to  turn  to 
God.  Through  hardness  of  heart  you  may  not  be  in 
terrible  despair.  But  the  practical  persuasion  of  your 
mind  may  be  that  God  has  no  mercy  for  you,  and 
that  you  have  sinned  too  long  to  be  forgiven.  If  so, 
let  me  plead  with  you  to  give  up  this  delusion.  No- 
where has  God  drawn  up  more  terrible  charges 
against  sinners  than  in  the  first  chapter  of  Isaiah,  yet 
he  concludes  his  address  to  these  guilty  men  (and 
through  them  he  speaks  to  you)  thus  :  "  Come,  now, 
and  let  us  reason  together,  saith  the  Lord ;  though 
your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow; 
though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as 
wool."  Could  words  better  suit  your  case?  and  they 
are  uttered  in  sincerity  and  truth.  They  are  the 
words  of  God.    He  never  mocks  any  of  his  creatures. 

We  have  in  the  Bible  an  account  of  the  conversion 


TO  AN  AGED   UNBELIEVER.  147 

of  an  old  and  very  great  sinner.  Manasseh,  the  son 
of  pious  Hezekiah,  was  early  instructed  in  the  true 
religion.  When  he  became  king  he  restored  idolatry, 
which  was  the  highest  kind  of  offence.  He  insulted 
God  to  his  face  by  defiling  the  temple.  He  formed  a 
league  with  Satan,  and  used  enchantments  and  witch- 
craft, sins  punishable  with  death  by  the  fundamental 
law  of  his  kingdom.  He  sacrificed  his  own  children 
to  devils.  He  was  one  of  the  worst  of  murderers. 
"He  shed  innocent  blood  very  much,  till  he  had  filled 
Jerusalem  from  one  end  to  another."  He  was  obsti- 
nate and  refractory  under  reproof.  He  made  the  nation 
follow  his  wicked  practices.  He  seemed  to  be  mad 
upon  his  idols  and  iniquities.  His  sin  was  aggra- 
vated by  the  example  and  instruction  of  his  good 
father  to  the  contrary,  by  his  high  station,  by  his 
malice  and  wantonness,  by  his  stubbornness  and  by 
his  long  continuance  in  it.  He  ascended  the  throne 
at  twelve  years  of  age,  and  he  lived  to  the  age  of 
sixty-seven.  Yet  when  he  was  sixty-two  years  old — 
that  is,  when  he  had  for  fifty  years  together  defiled 
his  soul,  corrupted  his  people,  and  insulted  God  by 
enormous  crimes — he  was  brought  to  repentance,  par- 
doned and  saved.  "  Old  or  young  sinners,  great  or 
small  sinners,  are  not  to  be  beaten  off  from  Christ, 
but  encouraged  to  repentance  and  faith;   for  who 


148  NEARING  HOME. 

knows  but  the  bowels  of  mercy  may  yearn  at  last 
upon  one  that  hath  all  along  rejected  it?"  God  has 
vast  treasures  of  rich  mercy  in  store  even  for  old  and 
hardened  sinners  who  will  "cease  to  do  evil,  and  learn 
to  do  well." 

Even  in  our  own  day  how  many  aged  persons  have 
been  brought  to  repentance!  Every  old  minister  who 
has  been  very  useful  can  tejl  of  the  wondrous  dis- 
plays of  the  grace  of  God  to  such.     Mr.  H was 

a  man  of  good  family.  He  was  well  educated,  but 
a  proud  scorner.  He  avoided  the  house,  the  worship, 
and  the  people  of  God.  He  was  profane  and  mingled 
with  such.  He  was  often  intoxicated  with  strong 
drink.  Yet  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  God's  Spirit 
arrested  him  and  brought  him  to  cry  for  mercy.  He 
lived  for  more  than  two  years  after  his  change,  and 
gave  the  best  evidence  he  could  in  that  time  that  he 
was  indeed  a  new  man. 

N.  D went  through  nearly  all  the  the  war  of 

American  Independence  with  honour  as  a  soldier,  but 
not  without  injury  to  his  morals.  He  was  honest  and 
truthful,  but  for  more  than  fifty  years  of  his  life  he 
seldom  visited  a  church,  and  he  was  intemperate. 
God  was  not  in  all  his  thoughts  till  he  was  eighty- 
nine  years  old.  Then  he  began  with  diligence  and 
prayer  to  read  the  Scriptures.-     He  went  to  the  house 


TO  AN  AGED    UNBELIEVER.  149 

of  God.  He  sought  private  instruction  also.  After 
a  season  of  great  spiritual  distress  he  was  brought  to 
settled  peace  of  mind.  I  have  .heard  his  pastor  say 
that  he  never  saw  a  more  lively  Christian.  He  lived 
more  than  eighteen  months  after  this  change,  and 
was  eminently  devout,  humble  and  happy  to  the  last. 
He  learned  to  sing  several  hymns.  Never  shall  I 
forget  his  appearance  and  voice  as  he  sang, 

"Amazing  grace !  how  sweet  the  sound, 
That  saved  a  wretch  like  me  !  «, 

I  once  was  lost,  but  now  am  found ; 
Was  blind,  but  now  I  see." 

"That  suits  me,  that  suits  me  exactly!"  he  often  said. 
My  aged  friend,  do  you  seek  further  assurances 
that  there  is  mercy  even  for  you  if  you  will  turn  to 
God?  Here  they  are:  "Ho,  everyone  that  thirsteth, 
come  ye  to  the  waters,  and  he  that  hath  no  money ; 
come  ye,  buy  and  eat ;  yea,  come,  buy  wine  and  milk 
without  money  and  without  price.',  "Whosoever  will, 
let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely."  "  Him  that 
cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  "  The 
bruised  reed  he  will  not  break,  the  smoking  flax  he 
will  not  quench."  "A  broken  and  a  contrite  heart, 
0  God,  thou  wilt  not  despise."  Say  not,  "It  is  too 
late."  Call  upon  God  in  earnest  prayer  ;  ask  others 
to  pray  for  you  and  with  you.     Confess  your  sins  to 


150  NEARING  HOME. 

God.  If  you  have  injured  men,  repair  the  injury  as 
far  as  possible.  "  Seek  the  Lord,  while  he  may  be 
found."  Come  to  Christ  as  you  are,  a  poor,  lost, 
helpless,  guilty,  polluted  sinner,  and  he  will  save 
you.  "  He  is  able  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost 
that  come  unto  God  by  him."  But  if  you  refuse 
another  hour,  it  may  be  too  late.  This  may  be  the 
last  call  you  will  ever  have.  Any  moment  you  may 
drop  into  hell.  Will  you,  will  you,  oh  will  you  be 
saved  ? 


!trt^htg  bnt  Mmbtz. 


ANONYMOUS. 


Nothing  but  leaves :  the  Spirit  grieves 

Over  a  wasted  life — 
Sins  committed  while  conscience  slept ; 
Promises  made,  but  never  kept ; 

Hatred,  battle,  and  strife — 
Nothing  but  leaves. 

Nothing  but  leaves :  no  garnered  sheaves 
Of  life's  fair  ripened  grain  ; 

Words,  idle  words,  for  earnest  deeds. 

We  sow  our  seed — lo !  tares  and  weeds : 
We  reap  with  toil  and  pain 
Nothing  but  leaves. 

Nothing  but  leaves :  memory  weaves 

No  veil  to  screen  the  past ; 
As  we  retrace  our  weary  way, 
Counting  each  lost  and  misspent  day, 
We  find  sadly  at  last, 
Nothing  but  leaves. 

151 


152  HEARING  HOME. 

And  shall  we  meet  the  Master  so, 
Bearing  our  withered  leaves  ? 
The  Saviour  looks  for  perfect  fruit : 
We  stand  before  him,  humbled,  mute, 
Waiting  the  word  he  breathes — 
"  Nothing  but  leaves." 


|iair,  out  ||elp. 

ISAAC  WATTS,   D.D. 

Psalm  xc. 

Our  God,  our  help  in  ages  pas:, 
Our  hope  for  years  to  come, 

Our  shelter  from  the  stormy  blast, 
And  our  eternal  home. 

Before  the  hills  in  order  stood, 
Or  earth  received  her  frame, 

From  everlasting  thou  art  God, 
To  endless  years  the  same. 

Thy  word  commands  our  flesh  to  dust, 
"  Return,  ye  sons  of  men  ;" 

All  nations  rose  from  earth  at  first, 
And  turn  to  earth  again. 

A  thousand  ages  in  thy  sight 
Are  like  an  evening  gone ; 

Short  as  the  watch  that  ends  the  ni<rht 
Before  the  rising  dawn. 

20  153 


154  NEABING  HOME. 

Time,  like  an  ever-rolling  stream, 
Bears  all  its  sons  away ; 

They  fly  forgotten,  as  a  dream 
Dies  at  the  opening  day. 

Our  God,  our  help  in  ages  past, 
Our  hope  for  years  to  come, 

Be  thou  our  guard  while  troubles  last, 
And  our  eternal  home. 


H  Ifttflto  tjjai  M  mnzt  file. 

FROM  THE  GERMAN  OF  B.  SCHMOLKE. 

My  God  !  I  know  that  I  must  die, 
My  mortal  life  is  passing  hence ; 

On  earth  I  neither  hope  nor  try- 
To  find  a  lasting  residence. 

Then  teach  me,  by  thy  heavenly  grace, 

With  joy  and  peace  my  death  to  face. 

My  God  !  I  know  not  when  I  die, 
What  is  the  moment,  or  the  hour, 

How  soon  the  clay  may  broken  lie, 
How  quickly  pass  away  the  flower ; 

Then  may  thy  child  prepared  be 

Through  time  to  meet  eternity. 

My  God !  I  know  not  how  I  die, 
For  death  has  many  ways  to  come, 

In  dark,  mysterious  agony, 
Or  gently  as  a  sleep  to  some. 

Just  as  thou  wilt !  if  but  I  be 

For  ever  blessed,  Lord,  with  thee. 


154 


156  NEABING  HOME. 

My  God !  I  know  not  where  I  die, 

Where  is  my  grave,  beneath  what  strand, 

Yet  from  its  gloom  I  do  rely 
To  be  delivered  by  thy  hand. 

Content,  I  take  what  spot  is  mine, 

Since  all  the  earth,  my  Lord,  is  thine. 

My  gracious  Grod !  when  I  must  die, 
Oh  bear  my  happy  soul  above, 

With  Christ,  my  Lord,  eternally 
To  share  thy  glory  and  thy  love ! 

Then  comes  it  right  and  well  to  me, 

When,  where,  and  how  my  death  shall  be. 


^s  Jurist  ftwoozts. 


RICHARD  BAXTER. 


Lord,  it  belongs  not  to  my  care 

Whether  I  die  or  live  ; 
To  love  and  serve  thee  is  my  share, 

And  this  thy  grace  must  give. 
If  life  be  long,  I  will  be  glad 

That  I  may  long  obey ; 
If  short,  yet  why  should  I  be  sad 

To  soar  to  endless  day? 

Christ  leads  me  through  no  darker  rooms 

Than  he  went  through  before ; 
He  that  unto  God's  kingdom  comes 

Must  enter  by  his  door. 
Come,  Lord,  when  grace  has  made  me  meet, 

Thy  blessed  face  to  see ; 
For  if  thy  work  on  earth  be  sweet, 

What  will  thy  glory  be  ? 

Then  shall  I  end  my  sad  complaints, 
And  weary,  sinful  days, 


158  NEARING  HOME. 

And  join  with  the  triumphant  saints 
That  sing  Jehovah's  praise. 

My  knowledge  of  that  life  is  small, 
The  eye  of  faith  is  dim ; 

But  'tis  enough  that  Christ  knows  all, 
And  I  shall  be  with  him. 


REV.  AUGUSTUS    M.  TOPLADY. 

When  languor  and  disease  invade 
This  trembling  house  of  clay, 

'Tis  sweet  to  look  beyond  our  cage, 
And  long  to  fly  away ; 

Sweet  to  look  inward,  and  attend 
The  whispers  of  his  love ; 

Sweet  to  look  upward  to  the  place 
Where  Jesus  pleads  above ; 

Sweet  to  look  back,  and  see  my  name 
In  life's  fair  book  set  down  ; 

Sweet  to  look  forward,  and  behold 
Eternal  joys  my  own ; 

Sweet  to  reflect  how  grace  divine 

My  sins  on  Jesus  laid ; 
Sweet  to  remember  that  his  blood 

My  debt  of  suffering  paid ; 


159 


160  NEARING  HOME. 

Sweet  in  his  righteousness  to  stand, 
Which  saves  from  second  death ; 

Sweet  to  experience,  day  by  day, 
His  Spirit's  quickening  breath  ; 

Sweet  on  his  faithfulness  to  rest, 
Whose  love  can  never  end ; 

Sweet  on  his  covenant  of  grace 
For  all  things  to  depend ; 

Sweet  in  the  confidence  of  faith 

To  trust  his  firm  decrees ; 
Sweet  to  lie  passive  in  his  hands, 

And  know  no  will  but  his ; 

Sweet  to  rejoice  in  lively  hope 
That  when  my  change  shall  come, 

Angels  shall  hover  round  my  bed, 
And  waft  my  spirit  home. 

Soon  too  my  slumbering  dust  shall  hear 
The  trumpet's  quickening  sound ; 

And  by  my  Saviour's  power  rebuilt, 
At  his  right  hand  be  found. 

Sweet,  blessed  hope!     There  I  at  last 

Shall  see  him  and  adore ; 
Be  with  his  likeness  satisfied, 

And  grieve  and  sin  no  more; 


THE  BLESSED  HOPE.  161 

Shall  see  him  wear  that  very  flesh 

On  which  my  guilt  was  lain ; 
His  love  intense,  his  merit  fresh, 

As  though  but  newly  slain. 

If  such  the  views  which  grace  unfolds, 

Weak  as  it  is  below, 
What  raptures  must  the  Church  above 

In  Jesus'  presence  know ! 

If  such  the  sweetness  of  the  stream, 

What  must  the  fountain  be, 
Where  saints  and  angels  draw  their  bliss 

Immediately  from  thee ! 

Oh  !  may  the  unction  of  these  truths 

For  ever  with  me  stay ; 
Till  from  her  sinful  cage  dismissed, 

My  spirit  flees  away. 

21 


fhetg  fetempt  from  %  gtntgs  ot  Jyje. 


JOHN    GOSMAN.    D.    D. 


Every  period  of  life — youth,  manhood,  and  age — 
lias  its  peculiar  characteristics.  Advanced  years  we 
naturally  associate  with  infirmity,  and  consider  them 
as  those  in  which  we  have  no  pleasure.  It  is  the 
time  of  retreat  from  the  business  and  turmoil  of  life, 
in  which,  from  the  sinking  of  the  bodily  powers,  we 
seem  hourly  to  advance  to  the  closing  scene.  We 
are  deprived  of  many  sources  of  delight,  and  are 
thrown,  so  to  speak,  on  our  own  resources.  As  the 
susceptibility  to  pleasure  is  abated,  and  the  senses 
lose  much  of  their  acuteness,  social  intercourse  in  a 
great  measure  ceases  to  charm.  The  gifts  of  mind 
often  follow  the  laws  of  decline ;  the  power  of  com- 
bining, the  glow  of  fancy  and  the  faculty  of  retention 
are  impaired ;  the  mind  wearies  and  becomes  per- 
plexed. But  in  the  case  of  the  aged  believer  how 
changed  the  aspect !  The  spiritual  principle  resists 
decay — "it  abideth  for  ever."  The  powers  with 
which  grace  has  endowed  the  soul  never  experience 
the  exhaustion  of  debility.     This  happy  independ- 


162 


PIETY  EXEMPT  FROM  THE  DECAYS  OF  AGE.      1G3 

ence  of  the  mind,  its  capacity  for  enjoyment,  distinct 
and  spiritual,  is  seen  in  the  vigour  of  perception  and 
glow  of  emotion  attesting  its  divine  origin.  The 
knowledge  of  advanced  years  is  comprehensive; 
truths  long  familiar  by  contemplation  become  in- 
vested with  new  attractions.  The  glory  of  redemp- 
tion is  seen  more  clearly ;  the  mind  becomes  assured 
of  the  certainty  of  the  word  of  God ;  and  their  influ- 
ence is  continually  advancing  and  diffusing  its  sacred 
power  over  the  whole  character.  Like  the  tree,  it 
seems  to  shoot  deeper  its  roots.  Like  the  lofty  cedar 
of  Lebanon,  it  stands  unmoved  by  the  tempests  of 
earth. 

The  great  essential  truths  of  the  word  of  God,  of 
the  sinfulness  of  our  nature,  the  necessity  of  divine 
and  gracious  influence  to  quicken,  purify  and  invig- 
orate the  soul  are  understood  and  felt  to  be  true  by 
the  test  most  decisive — experience.  Cut  off  from 
many  sources  of  enjoyment,  the  aged  believer  finds 
an  admirable  substitute  in  the  fellowship  of  the  spirit 
with  God.  He  can  say,  "  Truly  our  fellowship  is  with 
the  Father,  and  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ."  Pie  has 
the  best  society,  and  his  sympathies  are  more  elevated 
than  those  which  connect  with  imperfection  and 
change.  After  exploring  the  heavens  and  the  earth 
for  happiness,  they  seem  to  him  a  mighty  void,  a 


164  NEARING  HOME. 

wilderness  of  shadows,  where  all  will  be  empty  and 
unsubstantial  without  God.  The  language  of  his 
heart  is,  "Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  thee?  and 
there  is  none  upon  earth  that  I  desire  besides  thee." 
He  has  inward  self- enjoyment,  for  the  good  man  is 
"satisfied  from  himself."  There  is  an  entrance  now 
into  the  joys  of  the  future;  he  enters  now  into  peace 
— for  what  is  spiritual  life  but  the  life  of  God  in  the 
soul  of  man  ?  What  are  peace  and  joy  in  believing 
but  the  tranquillity  of  heaven  brought  down  to 
earth?  It  is  not  the  attribute  of  elevated  genius 
alone  to  soar  above  the  skies ;  borne  on  the  wings  of 
faith,  the  believer  can  adopt  the  language  of  Milton 
in  a  more  exalted  sense, — 

"  Upled  by  thee, 
Into  the  heaven  of  heavens  I  have  presumed, 
An  earthly  guest,  and  drawn  empyrean  air. ' ' 

The  enjoyments  of  religion  are  peculiar.  They 
depend  not  on  the  senses,  which  may  lose  their  quick- 
ness, or  on  the  animal  passions,  which  may  become 
languid  and  faint,  or  on  anything  which  is  merely 
outward.  They  spring  from  the  recesses  of  the 
heart.  The  natural  eye  may  fade,  but  the  eye  of  the 
spirit  is  vivid. 

The  review  of  the  past,  while  it  humbles  the  spirit, 
yet  comes  with  rich  and  fragrant  recollections  of  the 


PIETY  EXEMPT  FROM  THE  DECAYS  OF  AGE.      165 

goodness  and  faithfulness  of  God,  which  strengthen 
his  confidence  as  to  the  future.  An  advanced  be- 
liever happily  expresses  this  trust :  "  I  am  only  learn- 
ing as  yet  the  alphabet  of  that  supernatural  science 
which  teaches  us  to  rest  in  him  every  day,  and  all 
the  day,  as  the  '  Lord  our  Strength.'  "  His  mind  oc- 
cupied with  such  grateful  subjects  of  contemplation, 
his  heart  in  repose  on  his  covenant  God,  he  is  a 
stranger  to  the  vacuity,  the  peevishness  of  caprice, 
and,  above  all,  the  dissatisfaction  with  themselves, 
which  embitter  the  lives  of  those  who,  idolizing  the 
world,  find  it  an  empty  pageant.  If  such  the  joys 
of  the  believer  while  still  imprisoned  in  his  "  house 
of  clay,"  what  raptures  shall  swell  his  enfranchised 
spirit  when,  dropping  this  decaying  earthly  taber- 
nacle, he  shal  ascend  into  the  immediate  presence 
of  his  God ! 


•eabttt. 


ANONYMOUS. 


No  sickness  there — 
No  weary  wasting  of  the  frame  away — 

No  fearful  shrinking  from  the  midnight  air, 
No  dread  of  summer's  bright  and  fervid  ray. 

No  hidden  grief; 
No  wild  and  cheerless  vision  of  despair, — 

No  vain  petition  for  a  swift  relief — 
No  tearful  eyes,  no  broken  hearts  are  there ! 

Care  has  no  home ; 
In  the  bright  realms  of  ceaseless  prayer  and  song 

Its  billows  melt  away,  and  break  in  foam, 
Far  from  the  mansion  of  the  spirit  throng. 

The  storm's  black  wing 
Is  never  spread  athwart  celestial  skies, — 

Its  wailings  blend  not  with  the  voice  of  spring, 
As  some  too  tender  flow'ret  fades  and  dies. 

166 


HEAVEN.  167 

No  night  distils 
Its  chilling  dews  upon  the  tender  frame ; 

No  morn  is  needed  there, — the  light  which  fill.* 
That  land  of  glory  from  its  Maker  came. 

No  parted  friends 
O'er  mournful  recollections  have  to  weep ; — 

No  bed  of  death  enduring  love  attends, 
To  watch  the  coming  of  a  pulseless  sleep. 

No  blasted  flower 
Or  withered  bud  celestial  gardens  know ; 

No  scorching  blast  or  fierce  descending  shower 
Scatters  destruction  like  a  ruthless  foe. 

No  battle  word 
Startles  the  sacred  host  with  fear  and  dread : 

The  song  of  peace  creation's  morning  knew 
Is  sung  wherever  angel  minstrels  tread. 

Let  us  depart, 
If  home  like  this  await  the  weary  soul  : 

Look  up,  then,  stricken  one, — thy  wounded  heart 
Shall  bleed  no  more  at  sorrow's  stern  control. 

With  Faith  our  guide, 
White-robed  and  innocent,  to  lead  the  way, 

Why  fear  to  plunge  in  sorrow's  rolling  tide, 
And  find  the  Ocean  of  Eternal  Day  ? 


rg^t  at  gbeniiir*. 


ANONVMOUS. 


The  chequer'd  day  of  life  is  past, 
Its  varied  joys,  its  varied  cares ; 
The  clear  blue  sky  is  overcast, 
.  And  night  a  solemn  aspect  wears ; 
0  thou  whose  smile  makest  all  things  bright, 
At  evening  time  let  there  be  light. 

Darkness  has  often  marked  our  way, 
And  sorrow  on  our  souls  has  press'd ; 

But  thou  canst  all  our  fears  allay, 
And  cheer  the  closing  hours  of  rest ; 

Thy  love  is  boundless  as  thy  might : 

At  evening  time  let  there  be  light. 

Oh,  shine  within  our  hearts  ;  reveal 
Thyself  in  Christ,  the  God  of  love ; 

Nor  let  one  earthly  cloud  conceal 
The  glory  of  the  land  above ; 

Our  faith  increase — our  hope  excite : 

At  evening  time  let  there  be  light. 

168 


LIGHT  AT  EVENTIDE.  169 

Like  radiant  stars  that  chase  the  gloom, 

And  guide  the  traveller  to  repose, 
So  let  thy  promises  illume 

The  shadow  which  death's  coming  throws ; 
And  ere  our  spirit  takes  her  flight, 
At  evening  time  let  there  be  light. 

"  Let  there  be  light."     One  word  from  thee 

Will  every  passing  shade  dispel ; 
Until  thy  face  unveil'd  we  see, 

And  in  thy  cloudless  presence  dwell. 

Soon  shall  our  faith  be  changed  to  sight : 

In  heaven  there  will  be  perfect  light ! 
22 


Btnzt 

MARTIN   F.  TUPPER. 

"  My  times  are  in  thy  hand." 

Yet  will  I  trust !  in  all  my  fears, 
Thy  mercy,  gracious  Lord,  appears, 
To  guide  me  through  this  vale  of  tears, 

And  be  my  strength. 

Thy  mercy  guides  my  ebb  and  flow 
Of  health  and  joy,  or  pain  and  woe, 
To  wean  my  heart  from  all  below, 

To  thee  at  length 

Yes !  welcome  pain  which  thou  hast  sent, 
Yes  !  farewell  blessing  thou  hast  lent ; 
With  thee  alone  I  rest  content, 

For  thou  art  heaven, 

My  trust  reposes  safe  and  still 
On  the  wise  goodness  of  thy  will, 
Grateful  for  earthly  good  or  ill, 


Which  thou  hast  given. 


170 


TRUST.  171 

0  blessed  Friend !  0  blissful  thought ! 
With  happiest  consolation  fraught — 
Trust  thee  I  may,  I  will,  I  ought — 

To  doubt  were  sin. 


;il  is  Mtll 


ANONYMOUS. 


"All  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God." 
Rom.  viii.  28. 

Through  the  love  of  God  our  Saviour, 

All  will  be  well. 
Free  and  changeless  is  his  favour ; 

All,  all  is  well. 
Precious  is  the  blood  that  healed  us, 
Perfect  is  the  grace  that  sealed  us, 
Strong  the  hand  stretched  forth  to  shield  us, 

All  must  be  well. 

Though  we  pass  through  tribulation, 

All  will  be  well. 
Ours  is  such  a  full  salvation, 

All,  all  is  well. 
Happy,  still  in  God  confiding, 
Fruitful,  if  in  Christ  abiding, 
Holy,  through  the  Spirit's  guiding, 

All  must  be  well. 

172 


ALL  IS   WELL.  173 

We  expect  a  bright  to-morrow ; 

All  will  be  well. 
.Faith  can  sing,  through  days  of  sorrow, 

"All,  all  is  well." 
On  our  Father's  love  relying, 
Jesus  every  need  supplying, 
Or  in  living,  or  in  dying, 
All  must  be  well ! 


o  %  GtttttmosL 


REV.   GARDINER    SPRING    PLUMLEY. 


Mes.  M was  an  aged  woman.     For  eighty-four 

years  God  had  spared  her,  though  she  was  an  im- 
penitent, hardened  sinner.  Pious  parents  from  her 
birth  had  commended  her  in  faith  to  God,  and  with 
their  dying  breath  prayed  that  she  might  meet  them 
in  heaven. 

Early  in  life  she  had  imbibed  skeptical  notions, 
which  she  loved  to  avow.  She  read  her  Bible  to  find 
difficulties  and  make  objections.  When  personally 
addressed  on  the  subject  of  religion,  she  would 
adroitly  turn  the  conversation  to  disputed  topics, 
and  claim  that  she  could  not  understand  the  doc- 
trines of  grace.  Thus  she  lived  with  no  fear  of  God 
before  her  eyes,  and  with  no  interest  in  his  written 
and  preached  word,  except  as  it  furnished  her  with 
materials  for  argument  and  cavilling.  Her  faculties 
were  unimpaired  by  age,  her  mind  clear  ;  and,  but  for 
her  repugnance  to  religion,  her  society  was  agreeable. 

Two  successive  ministers  of  the  congregation  to 
which  her  family  belonged  declared  her  to  be  the 


1U 


TO   THE   UTTERMOST.  175 

most  hopeless  individual  for  whom  they  laboured. 
They  did  not,  however,  neglect  her.  Often  was  her 
pastor  found  talking  pointedly  with  her  until  she 
proposed  an  argument,  when  he  would  read  an  ap- 
propriate portion  of  Scripture,  then  pray  with  her, 
and  go  his  way.  He  sometimes  despaired  of  being 
at  all  useful  to  her,  but  was  encouraged  when  he  re- 
flected that  her  parents  had  been  faithful,  that  God's 
people  were  praying  for  her  conversion,  that  many 
texts  of  Scripture  were  in  her  memory,  and  that  one 
of  her  household  was  daily  setting  her  a  godly  ex- 
ample. 

One  day,  as  usual,  he  called  upon  her.  She  seemed 
the  same  woman  as  ever — no  penitence,  no  softness. 
She  remarked,  "  I  can't  see  anything  wrong  in  what 
Christians  call  sin.  I  see  evil  in  ugliness  and  the 
like ;  but  some  very  good  people  are  always  talking 
about  their  sins.  I  can't  tell  what  they  mean."  The 
Scripture  statements  respecting  the  guilt  of  disobey- 
ing G-od  were  held  up  to  view,  and  sin  was  described 
to  her  as  "  any  want  of  conformity  unto,  or  trans- 
gression of,  the  law  of  Grod." 

"Well,  if  there  is  such  a  thing  as  religion,  I  should 
not  object  to  have  it." 

"  Do  you  doubt,  then,  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as 
religion  ?" 


176  HEARING  HOME. 

"  I  never  saw  anybody  different  after,  from  what 
they  were  before,  they  professed  to  be  converted." 

"  Indeed !  that  is  strange ;  though  much  younger 
than  you,  I  think  I  have  seen  many.     Is  not  your 

son  L a  different  person  from  what  he  once  was? 

Does  he  not  give  evidence  of  a  great  change?" 

"  I  can't  see  that  he  does.  He  always  was 
a  good  boy  before  he  was  pious,  and  he  is  a  good 
son  now." 

"Do  you  not  feel  that  you  yourself  need  to  be 
changed  in  order  to  meet  an  infinitely  holy  God  ?" 

"  Wo,  I  don't  know  as  I  do.  I  never  have  done 
any  sin." 

After  a  pause  the  pastor  read  a  few  verses  of  Scrip- 
ture, and  committed  her  to  God  in  prayer. 

Ten  days  afterwards  he  visited  her  again.  But  to 
his  surprise  he  seemed  to  find  a  woman  as  different 

from  Mrs.  M as  it  is  possible  to  conceive.     Ii 

was  Mrs.  M as  far  as  form  was  concerned,  but 

with  a  subdued  expression  of  countenance  wonderful 
to  behold.  God's  Holy  Spirit  had  descended  upon 
her,  and  was  powerfully  convincing  her  of  sin,  of 
righteousness,  and  of  judgment.  She  was  bathed  in 
tears,  and  with  sobbing  and  cries  for  mercy  was  beg- 
ging God  to  pardon  "the  chief  of  sinners."  Her 
pastor  sought  to  comfort  her,  but  she  refused  his  con- 


TO   THE   UTTERMOST.  177 

solations.  "  Oh,  there  is,  there  can  be  no  mercy  for 
me.     Such  a  sinner,  such  a  sinner !" 

"  But  I  thought  you  didn't  understand  what  sin 
is — that  you  had  never  sinned  ?  What  have  you  been 
doing  so  bad  of  late  ?" 

"  Oh,  do  not  talk  so ;  I  have  committed  the  greatest 
sin  that  any  one  can  commit." 

"  Why,  what  sin  is  that?" 

"  Oh,  it's  rejecting  Christ's  mercy  all  these  years. 
Surely  he  will  not  save  me  now." 

Jesus  was  preached  to  her  as  "  able  to  save  them 
to  the  uttermost  that  come  unto  God  by  him."  Heb. 
vii.  25.  It  was,  however,  many  days  before  she 
could  rest  upon  Christ  alone,  and  believe  that  he 
would  have  anything  to  do  with  such  a  sinner.  Prayer 
was  daily  made  for  her  and  with  her.  The  old  elder, 
her  neighbor,  whose  visits  and  prayers  were  once  un- 
welcome, was  urged  by  her  to  come  as  often  as  he 
could,  and  all  other  Christian  friends  were  entreated 
to  pray. 

u  The  worst  is,"  said  she,  "  I  have  been  sinning  on 
and  on,  and  opposing  everything  good  so  long ;  and 
now  I  am  shut  up  in  this  corner,  where  I  can  do 
nothing  but  come  to  Christ ;  anti  can  it  be  possible 
that  he  will  receive  me  when  I  can  do  nothing  else?" 

"  Yes,  he  has  promised  to  save  to  the  uttermost. 

23 


178  NEABINO  HOME. 

He  ever  liveth,  he  will  be  your  Saviour  eternally. 
He  is  willing  to  begin  to  be  your  Jesus  now.  Though 
aged,  you  are  blessed  with  clear  reason.  You  can 
hear  and  understand  his  message :  '  Believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved.' "  Acts 
xvi.  31. 

At  last  light  broke  in  upon  her  soul.  She  saw  the 
compassion  of  Jesus.  She  received  him  into  her 
heart,  and  found  all  his  promises  true.  Then  her 
prayers  were  mingled  with  praises.  She  called  upon 
all*  about  her  to  sing  the  praises  of  her  Saviour.  In 
the  night  she  would  awake  and  request  this,  and  on 
more  than  one  occasion  succeeded  in  having  her 
friends  sing  "  songs  in  the  night."  Old  hymns  long 
forgotten  came  back  to  her  memory,  and  must  be 
searched  up  and  sung.  The  burden  of  those  she 
loved  most  was  the  power  of  Christ  to  cleanse  and 
save  the  vilest  sinners.  Jesus  had  discovered  to  her 
her  sinfulness ;  Jesus  had  made  her  whole.  The 
language  of  her  heart  was, 

"A  guilty,  weak,  and  helpless  worm, 
On  thy  kind  arms  I  fall : 
Be  thou  my  strength  and  righteousness, 
My  Jesus  and  my  all." 

Here  are  important  lessons. 

1.  There  is  hope  even  for  those  whose  case  seems  most 


TO   THE   UTTERMOST.  179 

hopeless.  Never  despair  of  such.  Use  all  the  means 
of  grace  for  them.  Do  not  argue  with  them.  Read 
or  repeat  to  them  God's  word,  converse  with  them 
tenderly,  and  pray  for  them  earnestly.  Every  true 
prayer  will  be  answered,  and  every  portion  of  truth 
become  at  last  effectual. 

2.  Let  parents  train  their  children  for  Christ,  and  in 
faith  commit  them  to  his  care.  Teach  them  his  word, 
set  before  them  a  godly  example,  and  if  you  are 
taken  from  them,  trust  in  God  to  make  them  his  own. 
"  I  believe,"  said  a  dying  Christian  mother,  "  that  all 
my  children  will  be  converted."  And  the  event  was 
in  accordance  with  her  faith. 

3.  Do  not  delay  accepting  Jesus  as  your  Saviour.  By 
so  doing  you  rob  God  of  that  service  which  it  is  your 
privilege  to  render  him  now,  and  heap  up  sorrows 
for  the  future.  Oh  may  you  never  know  the  pangs 
of  remorse  that  follow  a  life  of  sin  !  If  you  are  now 
convinced  of  your  duty,  and  fail  to  do  it,  God  may 
leave  you  to  your  chosen  course,  to  sink  into  eternal 
death. 

4.  The  greatest  sin  is  rejection  of  Chrisfs  love.  Such 
is  the  testimony  of  a  conscience  enlightened  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Ah,  sinner,  beware !  Are  you  slight- 
ing the  infinite  love  of  Jesus  ?  Remember  it  was  to 
bless  you  that  he  died ;  to  make  you  for  ever  happy 


180  REARING  HOME. 

he  bowed  his  head  in  unutterable  anguish.  And  his 
power  is  as  mighty  as  his  love.  If  you  believe  on 
him,  he  can,  he  will  save  you.     He  is  able  to  save 

THEM  TO  THE  UTTEKMOST  THAT  COME  UNTO  GOD  BY 
HIM. 


j  |ittle  Spile. 

HORATIUS  BONAR,   D.  D. 

Beyond  the  smiling  and  the  weeping 

I  shall  be  soon  ; 
Beyond  the  waking  and  the  sleeping, 
Beyond  the  sowing  and  the  reaping, 
I  shall  be  soon. 
Love,  rest  and  home  ! 

Sweet  home ! 
Lord,  tarry  not,  but  come ! 

Beyond  the  blooming  and  the  fading 

I  shall  be  soon  ; 
Beyond  the  shining  and  the  shading, 
Beyond  the  hoping  and  the  dreading, 
I  shall  be  soon. 
Love,  rest,  and  home ! 

Sweet  home ! 
Lord,  tarry  not,  but  come ! 

Beyond  the  rising  and  the  setting 
I  shall  be  soon  ; 

181 


182  BEARING  HOME. 

Beyond  the  calming  and  the  fretting, 
Beyond  remembering  and  forgetting, 
I  shall  be  soon. 
Love,  rest,  and  home ! 

Sweet  home ! 
Lord,  tarry  not,  but  come ! 

Beyond  the  parting  and  the  meeting 

I  shall  be  soon  ; 
Beyond  the  farewell  and  the  greeting, 
*    Beyond  the  pulse's  fever  beating, 
I  shall  be  soon. 
Love,  rest,  and  home ! 

Sweet  home ! 
Lord,  tarry  not,  but  come ! 

Beyond  the  frost-chain  and  the  fever 

I  shall  be  soon  ; 
Beyond  the  rock-waste  and  the  river, 
Beyond  the  ever  and  the  never, 
I  shall  be  soon. 
Love,  rest,  and  home, 

Sweet  home ! 
Lord,  tarry  not,  but  come! 


Itaatlrar  Sulks  of  t\t  Jyjcfc. 

ARCHIBALD    ALEXANDER,    D.  D. 

I  have  no  doubt  that  you  have  remarked  with 
surprise  that  the  impression  of  the  reality  and  im- 
portance of  eternal  things  is  not  increased  by  the 
nearness  of  your  approach  to  the  end  of  your  course. 
Time  glides  insensibly  away,  and  it  is  with  us  in  this 
respect  as  in  relation  to  the  globe  on  which  we  re- 
side. While  other  things  appear  to  be  in  motion., 
our  feeling  is  that  we  are  stationary.  The  mere  cir- 
cumstance of  being  old  seems  to  affect  no  one  with  a 
more  lively  concern  about  the  salvation  of  the  soul. 
None  appear  to  be  more  blind  and  stupid  in  regard 
to  religious  matters  than  many  who  are  tottering  on 
the  brink  of  the  grave.  This,  indeed,  is  so  com- 
monly the  fact  with  those  who  have  grown  old  with- 
out religion  that  very  little  hope  is  entertained  of 
the  conversion  of  the  aged  who  have  from  their 
youth  enjoyed  the  means  of  grace.  And  it  is  also  a 
fact  that  real  Christians  are  not  rendered  more  deeply 

*  183 


184  NEARING  BOME. 

sensible  of  the  awful  importance  of  eternal  things 
by  becoming  old  and  infirm.  The  truth  is,  that  no- 
thing but  an  increase  of  faith  by  the  operation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  will  be  effectual  to  prepare  us  for  that 
change  which  we  know  is  rapidly  approaching.  Coun- 
sels and  exhortations,  however,  are  not  to  be  ne- 
glected, as  God  is  pleased  to  work  by  means.  I 
have,  therefore,  undertaken  to  address  to  you  such 
considerations  as  occur  to  me. 

Having  already  spoken  of  the  infirmities  and  sins 
which  are  apt  to  cleave  to  us  in  advanced  years,  I 
propose  in  this  letter  to  inquire  what  are  the  peculiar 
duties  incumbent  on  the  aged.  What  would  the  Lord 
have  us  to  do  ?  Undoubtedly  we  are  not  privileged 
to  fold  our  hands  and  sit  down  in  idleness,  as  if  our 
work  was  ended.  Indeed,  it  would  be  no  privilege 
to  be  exempt  from  all  occupation.  Such  a  life  to  the 
aged  or  the  young  must  be  a  life  of  misery ;  for  man 
never  was  made  to  be  idle,  and  his  happiness  is  in- 
timately connected  with  activity.  We  may  be  no 
longer  qualified  for  those  labours  which  require  much 
bodily  strength  ;  we  may  indeed  be  so  debilitated  or 
crippled  by  disease  that  we  can  scarcely  move  our 
crazy  frame,  and  some  among  us  may  be  vexed  with 
excruciating  pain  ;  yet  still  we  have  a  work  to  per- 
form for  God  and  for  our  generation. 


PECULIAR  DUTIES  OF  THE  AGED.  185 

If  we  cannot  use  our  hands  and  feet  so  as  to  be 
useful  in  the  labours  which  we  were  wont  to  perform, 
yet  we  may  employ  our  tongues  to  speak  the  praises 
of  our  God  and  Saviour.  We  may  drop  a  word  of 
counsel  to  those  around  us ;  and  especially  the  aged 
owe  a  duty  to  the  young,  to  whom  they  may  have 
access  and  who  are  related  to  them.  Every  aged 
Christian  must  have  acquired  much  knowledge  from 
experience,  which  he  should  be  ready  to  communicate 
as  far  as  it  is  practicable.  Why  is  it,  my  dear  friends, 
that  we  suffer  so  many  opportunities  of  usefulness  to 
pass  without  improvement  ?  Why  are  we  so  often 
silent  when  the  suggestions  of  our  own  conscience 
urge  us  to  speak  something  for  God  ?  How  is  it  that 
we  consume  hours  in  unprofitable  talk,  and  seldom 
attempt  to  say  anything  which  can  profit  the  hearers? 
We  may  plead  inability — we  may  excuse  ourselves 
because  we  are  unlearned  and  not  able  to  speak  elo- 
quently and  correctly — but  let  us  be  honest ;  is  not 
the  true  reason  because  our  own  hearts  are  so  little 
affected  with  these  things?  We  cannot  consent  to 
play  the  hypocrite  by  uttering  sentiments  which  we 
do  not  feel ;  and  we  have  often  been  disgusted  with 
the  attempts  of  others,  who  in  a  cold  and  constrained 
manner  have  introduced  religious  conversation.  It 
is  easy  to  see  where  the  fault  lies ;  it  is  in  the  state 

24 


186  NEAEING  HOME. 

of  our  own  hearts.  Let  us  never  rest,  then,  until  we 
find  ourselves  in  a  better  state  of  mind.  Let  us  get 
our  hearts  habitually  under  the  influence  of  divine 
things,  and  then  conversation  on  this  subject  will  be 
as  easy  as  on  any  other.  "  Out  of  the  abundance  of 
the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh."  There  are  companies 
and  occasions  when  to  obtrude  remarks  on  religion 
would  be  unseasonable  and  imprudent,  for  we  must 
not  cast  our  pearls  before  swine ;  but  in  most  cases 
an  aged  person  may  give  utterance  to  seasonable  and 
solemn  truths  without  offence  ;  and  very  often  a  word 
spoken  in  season  has  been  the  means  of  saving  a 
soul ;  and  the  advice  and  exhortation  of  parents  and 
pious  friends  are  remembered  and  prove  salutary 
after  their  heads  are  laid  low  under  the  clods  of  the 
valley. 

I  have  often  heard  aged  persons,  incapable  any 
longer  of  active  service,  express  surprise  that  their 
unprofitable  lives  were  so  long  protracted,  while  the 
young  and  laborious  servants  of  God  were  cut  off  in 
the  midst  of  their  years.  The  dispensations  of  God 
are  indeed  inscrutable — "his  ways  are  past  finding- 
out" — and  we  are  too  little  acquainted  with  his  coun- 
sels to  sit  in  judgment  on  them.  But  I  would  say 
to  those  wTho  think  that  they  can  be  of  no  further  use- 
in  the  world,  that  they  do  not  form  a  just  estimate  of 


PECULIAR  DUTIES  OF  THE  AGED.  187 

the  nature  of  the  service  which  God  requires,  and  by 
which  he  is  glorified  by  his  creatures  upon  earth. 
All  true  obedience  originates  in  the  heart,  and  con- 
sists essentially  of  the  affections  of  the  heart :  exter- 
nal duties  are  to  be  performed,  but  are  only  holy  as 
connected  with  holy  motives.  The  aged  man  may 
serve  God  therefore  as  sincerely  and  fervently  as  any 
others,  if  only  the  heart  be  right  in  the  sight  of  God. 
He  can  glorify  God  in  his  spirit  by  thinking  affec- 
tionately of  his  glorious  name,  by  contemplating  his 
divine  attributes,  and  by  exercising  love  and  grati- 
tude towards  him.  His  devotion  might  thus  approach 
more  nearly  to  our  conceptions  of  the  services  and 
exercises  of  the  saints  in  heaven. 

It  may  be  that  the  lives  of  some  are  lengthened 
out  that  they  may  offer  up  many  prayers  for  the 
Church  and  for  the  world ;  for  after  all  the  activity 
and  bustle  and  zeal  apparent,  there  is  no  service 
which  can  be  performed  by  mortals  so  effectual  as 
prayer.  Here  there  is  a  work  to  which  the  aged 
may  be  devoted.  While  Joshua  and  the  men  of  war 
contend  with  the  Amalekites  in  the  battle,  Moses 
assists  by  lifting  up  his  hands  in  prayer ;  and  when 
he  is,  through  fatigue,  no  longer  able  to  hold  them 
up,  he  is  assisted  by  Aaron  on  one  side  and  Hur  on 
the  other.     If  you  cannot  preach,  you  can  by  prayer 


188  NEABING  HOME. 

hold  up  the  hands  of  those  who  do.  You  can  follow 
the  missionary  who  leaves  all  to  go  and  labour  in 
heathen  lands  with  your  daily  and  fervent  prayers. 
It  is  not  in  vain  for  you  to  live  while  you  have  access 
to  a  throne  of  grace.  Before  the  advent  of  Christ 
there  were  some  aged  persons  who  seem  to  have  been 
preserved  in  life  that  they  might  pray  for  this  event, 
and  that  they  might  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the 
answer  of  their  prayers,  and  embracing  him  in  their 
arms  whom  they  had  so  often  embraced  by  faith. 
While  all  around  was  spiritual  death  and  desolation, 
and  corruption  and  error  had  infected  all  classes, 
from  the  priesthood  downward,  there  was  a  little 
band  who  had  taken  up  their  residence  in  the  temple, 
or  often  frequented  this  holy  place,  who  were  waiting 
for  the  Consolation  of  Israel.  Two  of  these  were 
Simeon  and  Anna;  but  there  were  others  of  the  same 
character  ;  for  we  read  that  this  very  aged  and  pious 
widow,  who  departed  not  from  the  templey  but  served 
God  with  fasting  and  prayers,  night  and  day,  "  spake 
of  Christ,  after  she  had  seen  him,  to  all  them  who 
looked  for  redemption  in  Israel."  The  darker  the 
the  times  the  more  closely  do  the  truly  pious  adhere 
to  each  other.  This  little  knot  of  praying  people 
knew  each  other,  and  no  doubt  spake  often  one  to 
another ;  and  in  this  case  the  Lord  hearkened  and 


PECULIAR  DUTIES  OF  THE  AGED,  189 

heard;  for  the  object  of  their  desires  and  prayers 
was  given  to  them.  Was  the  life  of  Anna  an  un- 
profitable life,  although  she  never  left  the  temple, 
and  did  nothing  but  fast  and  pray  ?  Was  Simeon  a 
useless  member  of  the  Church  because  he  was  proba- 
bly too  old  for  labour?  The  truth  was — and  the  same 
is  often  verified — that  the  true  Church  of  God  was  at 
this  time  confined  to  a  few  pious  souls ;  while  the 
priests  and  the  scribes  and  the  rulers  had  neither 
part  nor  lot  in  the  matter.  As  God  preserved  Simeon, 
according  to  a  promise  made  to  him,  until  he  saw  the 
Lord's  Christ,  so  he  may  be  lengthening  out  the  lives 
of  some  of  you,  my  aged  brethren,  until  you  may 
have  the  opportunity  of  seeing  the  salvation  of  Israel 
come  out  of  Zion.  Do  you  not  wish  to  be  witnesses 
of  the  rise  and  glory  of  the  Church  ?  Pray,  then,  in- 
cessantly for  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  Jerusalem. 
Consider  it  as  your  chief  business  to  pray  that  the 
kingdom  of  Grod  may  come.  What  though  the  signs 
of  the  times  be  discouraging ;  what  though  you  live 
in  troublous  times;  what  though  the  Church  may 
be  shaken,  and  the  prospects  of  her  increase  be  dark, 
yet  remember  that  she  is  founded  on  a  Rock,  and  the 
gates  of  hell  cannot  prevail  against  her.  The  vessel 
which  carries  Christ,  though  it  be  buffeted  by  storms, 
is  in   no  danger  of  being  wrecked.     But  to  govern 


190  NEABING  HOME. 

and  direct  does  not  belong  to  you ;  your  duty  is  to 
pray — to  pray  without  ceasing— to  wrestle  with  the 
Angel  of  the  Covenant,  and  not  to  let  him  go  until  he 
bless  you.  Give  him  no  rest  until  he  establish  and 
make  Jerusalem  a  praise  in  all  the  earth.  You  can- 
not offend  by  importunity,  but  by  this  you  will  be 
sure  to  prevail ;  for  "  will  not  God  hear  his  own  elect 
who  cry  day  and  night  unto  him?"  Therefore  never 
hold  your  peace,  but  as  long  as  you  live  intercede 
with  him  to  fulfil  his  gracious  promises,  and  to  cause 
the  earth  to  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  himself 
as  the  waters  cover  the  sea,  when  his  people  shall  be 
all  righteous,  and  there  shall  be  no.  need  any  longer 
for  any  one  to  say  to  his  neighbour,  Know  the  Lord, 
for  all  shall  know  him  from  the  least  to  the  greatest. 
Thanksgiving  is  also  a  duty  peculiarly  incumbent 
on  the  aged.  In  the  providence  of  God  you  are 
spared,  while  most  of  your  coevals  have  been  cut 
off  in  the  midst  of  their  career.  Some  of  you  have 
enjoyed  almost  uninterrupted  prosperity.  When  you 
consider  the  dispensations  of  God's  providence  to- 
wards you  in  the  time  and  place  and  circumstances 
of  your  birth,  in  giving  you  pious  and  intelligent 
parents,  who  took  care  of  your  health  and  education, 
and  in  following  you  with  goodness  and  mercy  all  the 
days  of  your  life ;  giving  you  kind  friends,  faithful 


PECULIAR  DUTIES  OF  THE  AGED.  191 

teachers,  health  and  reason,  together  with  abundant 
religious  privileges,  how  thankful  ought  you  to  be ! 
But  that  which  above  all  other  things  enhances  your 
obligations  to  gratitude  is  that  in  his  own  good  time 
he  effectually  called  you  from  the  devious  paths  of 
iniquity,  and  adopted  you  as  a  child  into  his  own 
household  and  family,  and  perhaps  has  made  you  the 
instrument  of  much  good  to  others ;  if  not  on  a  large 
scale,  yet  in  your  own  family,  and  in  the  church 
of  which  you  are  a  member.  If  now,  to  all  these 
blessings,  he  has  given  you  pious  children,  who  pro- 
mise when  you  are  gone  more  than  to  supply  your 
place  in  society,  or  even  if  they  have  been  preserved 
from  infidelity  and  disgraceful  immoralities,  and  are 
■  disposed  to  pay  a  serious  attention  to  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel,  no  words  can  express  your  obligations 
to  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord,  and  continually  to 
praise  his  name  whose  mercy  endureth  for  ever  and 
ever.  "  Let  us  therefore  offer  the  sacrifice  of  praise 
to  God  continually — that  is,  the  fruit  of  our  lips, 
giving  thanks  to  his  name." 


s\ixll  Boon  bt  Wghtg, 


ANONYMOUS. 


Ah  !  I  shall  soon  be  dying, 

Time  swiftly  glides  away ; 
But,  on  my  Lord  relying, 

I  hail  the  happy  day — 
The  clay  when  I  shall  enter 

Upon  a  world  unknown  : 
My  helpless  soul  I  venture 

On  Jesus  Christ  alone. 

He  once,  a  spotless  victim, 

Upon  mount  Calvary  bled ; 
Jehovah  did  afflict  him 

And  bruise  him  in  my  stead ; 
Hence  all  my  hope  arises, 

Unworthy  as  I  am ; 
My  soul  most  surely  prizes 

The  sin-atoning  Lamb. 

Soon,  with  the  saints  in  glory, 
The  grateful  song  I'll  raise, 


192 


I  SHALL  SOON  BE  DYING.  193 

And  chant  my  blissful  story 

In  high  seraphic  lays. 
Free  grace,  redeeming  merit, 

And  sanctifying  love 
Of  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit, 

I'll  sing  in  realms  above. 

2* 


fyc  |i0ss  of  mtmoxg, 


ANONYMOUS. 


How  impaired  the  memory  becomes  as  we  advance 
in  years  !  We  are  constantly  forgetting  the  little  oc- 
currences of  everyday  life,  and  our  past  history 
sometimes  appears  to  us  like  an  indistinct  and 
troubled  dream.  The  friends  and  associates  of  our 
youth  fade  from  our  recollection,  and  we  are  fre- 
quently unable  to  recall  even  the  names  which  they 
bore.  It  is  true  that  an  aged  person  will  sometimes 
manifest  as  clear  and  as  tenacious  a  memory  as  is 
possessed  by  any  one  around  him,  but  his  case  is  a 
peculiar  one,  and  does  not  warrant  others  to  expect 
that  they  will  be  similarly  favoured.  For  loss  of 
memory  is  a  common  and  natural  infirmity  of  old 
age ;  and  we  must  not  be  surprised,  and  we  ought 
not  to  be  impatient,  at  this  indication,  among  many 
others,  of  our  mortality. 

The  present  world  is  not  our  rest,  although  we  are 
too  prone  to  live  as  if  it  were  so ;  and  our  failing 
strength  and  weakened  faculties  are  kind  and  neces- 

194 


THE  LOSS  OF  MEMORY.  195 

sary  remembrancers  of  our  actual  position  here. 
And  not  only  do  they  remind  us  that  we  have  reached 
the  evening  of  life,  and  should  prepare  for  the  dawn 
of  immortality,  but  they  tend  to  assist  us  in  making 
that  preparation,  by  withdrawing  us  from  the  ardu- 
ous and  engrossing  occupations  of  the  world,  and  by 
gradually  weaning  us  from  our  natural  attachment 
to  this  present  state  of  existence.  Our  feeble  powers, 
both  of  body  and  mind,  unfit  us  for  the  busy  engage- 
ments into  which  we  once  entered  so  heartily,  and  in 
our  retirement  from  the  active  duties  of  life  we  have 
opportunity  for  meditation  and  reflection  ;  while  the 
privations  and  trials  to  which  we  are  subjected  in- 
cline us  to  say  with  the  afflicted  patriarch,  "  I  would 
not  live  alway ;"  and  thus  make  us  willing  to  depart. 
The  failure  of  memory  is,  however,  very  trying 
and  inconvenient ;  and  it  is  a  loss  which  cannot  be 
repaired.  "  My  memory  fails  day  by  clay,"  writes  a 
Christian  lady  in  her  seventieth  year  to  her  sister. 
"  I  cannot  remember  where  I  put  anything,  no,  not 
for  an  hour  ;  and  though  the  inconvenience  might  be 
prevented  by  having  a  place  for  everything,  and 
being  careful  to  put  everything  in  its  proper  place — 
a  rule  good  in  every  time  of  life — it  is  frustrated  by 
my  forgetting  that  I  forget.  No  person  can  conceive 
the  trial  this  is  but  they  who  have  experienced  it.    It 


196  NEARINO  HOME. 

is  equally  distressing  with  regard  to  circumstances 
and  dates.  I  must  make  a  memorandum  of  every- 
thing ;  and  then  I  lose  the  memorandum,  or  mislay 
the  book  in  which  I  note  down  things  of  importance. 
However,  I  have  mercies  great  and  numerous  to 
balance,  and  infinitely  more  than  balance  this; 
my  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God ;  my  Jesus  is  my 
surety  that  all  will  be  well :  he  forgets  not.  All  my 
concerns  are  in  his  hands ;  he  will  manage  all,  per- 
fect all,  finish  all." 

Oh,  amidst  the  changes  and  the  imperfections 
which  are  incidental  to  the  present  life,  how  full  of 
comfort  is  the  thought  that  Jesus  forgets  not !  He 
ever  remembers  his  people,  and  retains  the  liveliest 
interest  in  their  minutest  concerns.  "  Can  a  woman 
forget  her  sucking  child,  that  she  should  not  have 
compassion  on  the  son  of  her  womb?  Yea,  they 
may  forget ;  yet  will  I  not  forget  thee."*  No  lapse 
of  time  can  enfeeble  or  destroy  his  perfect  and  per- 
petual cognizance  of  our  affairs. 

And  although  our  memories  are  rapidly  failing, 
although  they  are  unable  now  to  fulfil  the  trust 
which  we  once  reposed  in  them,  they  can  still  grate- 
fully recall  the  Saviour's  precious  name,  and  ardently 
cherish  the  recollection  of  his  unspeakable  love. 

*  Isa  xlix.  15: 


THE  LOSS  OF  MEMORY.  197 

The  pious  Bishop  Bevericlge,  when  on  his  death- 
bed, was  unable  to  recognize  any  of  his  relatives  or 
friends.  A  clergyman  with  whom  he  had  been  inti- 
mately acquainted  visited  him,  and  when  introduced 
into  his  room,  said,  "  Bishop  Beveridge,  do  you  know 
me?"  "Who  are  you?"  said  the  aged  prelate. 
Being  told  who  the  minister  was,  he  shook  his  head, 
and  said  that  he  did  not  know  him.  Another  friend 
addressed  him  in  a  similar  manner,  "  Do  you  know 
me,  Bishop  Beveridge  ?"  "  Who  are  you  ?"  he  again 
inquired.  Being  told  that  it  was  one  of  his  old 
friends,  he  replied  that  he  did  not  recollect  him.  His 
wife  then  came  to  his  bedside,  and  asked  him  if  he 
knew  her,  but  the  good  bishop  had  lost  all  remem- 
brance even  of  his  wife.  At  last  some  one  present 
said,  "Well,  Bishop  Beveridge,  do  you  know  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ?"  "Jesus  Christ!"  repeated  he, 
as  if  the  name  had  produced  upon  him  the  influence 
of  a  charm  ;  "oh,  yes,  I  have  known  him  these  forty 
years  ;  precious  Saviour  !     He  is  my  only  hope." 

"  How  sweet  the  name  of  Jesus  sounds 
In  a  believer's  ear!" 

Saviour !  if  we  forget  all  besides,  may  we  remem- 
ber thee  !  May  we  look  to  thee — rest  on  thee — abide 
in  thee — and  wait  for  that  happy  period  when  we 
shall  be  for  ever  with  thee! 


198  NEARING  HOME. 

And  when  we  have  reached  heaven,  we  shall  no 
longer  have  to  complain  of  the  i imperfection  of 
memory.  For  then  we  shall  remember — remember 
without  any  effort,  any  mistake,  any  omission — the 
way  in  which  the  Lord  onr  God  has  led  us  so  many 
years  in  the  wilderness.  What  a  retrospect  will  that 
be !  The  light  of  eternity  will  shine  on  the  records 
of  the  past,  and  each  page  of  our  life  will  be  clear 
and  legible.  And  we  shall  read  them  without  pain 
or  regret.  In  this  world  the  recollection  of  bygone 
days  is  often  fraught  with  much  that  is  sorrowful. 
Scenes  and  events  come  back  to  our  thoughts  on 
which  Ave  dare  not  dwell,  and  which  we  would  fain 
forget.  But  it  will  not  be  so  above.  Perfect  and 
vivid  as  that  mental  glance  which  shall  survey  our 
journey  through  life  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave 
will  unquestionably  prove,  it  will  be  accompanied  by 
so  deep  and  augmented  an  acquaintance  with  the 
loving  providence  of  our  heavenly  Father,  and  by 
such  sweet  and  entire  submission  to  his  will,  as  will 
render  it  impossible  for  the  remembrances  to  awaken 
the  slightest  emotion  of  grief  in  our  hearts.  Or 
rather,  it  will  furnish  us  with  such  accumulated  and 
varied  proofs  of  God's  tenderness  and  care  as  will 
fill  our  spirits  with  grateful  adoration.  Oh,  as  we 
recall  with  accurate  minuteness  the  circumstances  of 


THE  LOSS  OF  MEMORY.  199 

our  earthly  history,  we  shall  see  enough  of  God's 
marvellous  wisdom  and  loving-kindness  to  excite  our 
praise  throughout  all  eternity. 

Instead,  then,  of  lamenting  over  our  present  in- 
firmity, let  us  endeavour  to  realize  that  freedom  from 
all  imperfection  and  those  superior  mental  faculties 
which  we  shall  enjoy  in  a  future  state.  We  are 
now  drawing  near  to  the  land  of  perpetual  youth 
and  vigour.  The  weakened  intellect,  the  declining 
strength,  the  failing  memory,  these  are  tokens  that 
it  will  not  be  very  long  before  our  weary  spirits  are 
at  rest. 

A  poor  aged  widow — poor  in  this  world's  wealth, 
but  rich  in  faith — in  reply  to  the  kind  inquiry  of  her 
minister  after  her  health,  replied  with  cheerfulness, 
"  What  cause  I  have  to  be  thankful !  How  many  at 
my  age  are  confined  to  their  beds,  while  I  am  able  to 
be  about  and  clean  my  own  house !  I  hope  I  may 
have  my  faculties  to  the  last." 

"You  find,  I  dare  say,"  he  remarked,  "that  this 
earthly  house  of  your  tabernacle  is  being  dissolved : 
now  one  pin  is  taken  down,  now  another ;  now  this 
part  melts  away,  now  that."  "  Yes,  sir,  I  do  indeed 
find  that  my  poor  old  body  is  very  weak  ;  often  when 
I  only  walk  across  the  room  I  am  extremely  giddy ; 
and  my  memory  almost  fails  me.     Sometimes  I  get 


200  NEABIXG  HOME. 

up  and  go  into  the  other  room  to  fetch  something 
which  I  want,  and  when  I  come  there,  I  stand,  and 
have  quite  forgotten  for  what  I  came." 

"You  remember,  perhaps,  what  took  place  when 
you  were  a  girl  far  more  distinctly  than  what  you 
heard  or  saw  only  last  week  ?" 

"  Oh  yes,  sir, ;  it  seems  to  me  but  a  few  days  since 
I  was  a  girl ;  my  father  lived  at  the  mill,  and  I  re- 
member how  I  used  to  go  into  the  fields,  and  have 
many  a  game  there  with  my  little  playfellows." 

i(  Well,  my  dear  friend,  memory  generally  seems 
to  be  the  first  faculty  which  is  taken  from  the  aged ; 
and  God  thus  reminds  them  to  forget  those  things 
which  are  behind,  and  to  reach  forth  to  those  things 
which  are  before.  He  prevents  their  looking  back, 
in  order  that  they  may  learn  to  look  forward." 

Let  us  all  "  look  forward ;"  and  as  we  muse  on  the 
glorious  realities  of  heaven,  can  we  murmur  that  we 
should  forget  the  fading  things  of  earth  ?  Is  it  not 
well  that  the  nearer  we  are  to  the  joys  of  eternity, 
the  less  vivid  and  perceptible  appear  the  vanities  of 
time?  A  mist  has  gathered  over  the  scenes  of  earth, 
but  everlasting  sunshine  is  about  to  break  forth. 


Iragtr  of  an  Jlgeir  wtlhbtt. 


SIR    ROBERT   GRANT. 


With  years  oppressed,  with  sorrows  torn, 
Dejected,  harassed,  sick,  forlorn, 

To  thee,  0  Lord,  I  pray ; 
To  thee  these  withered  hands  I  raise, 
To  thee  I  lift  these  failing  eyes, 

Oh  cast  me  not  away. 

Thy  mercy  heard  my  infant  prayer, 
Thy  love,  with  all  a  mother's  care, 

Sustained  my  childish  days ; 
Thy  goodness  watched  my  ripening  youth, 
And  formed  my  heart  to  love  thy  truth, 

And  filled  my  lips  with  praise. 

0  Saviour,  has  thy  grace  declined? 
Can  years  affect  th'  eternal  mind, 

Or  time  its  love  decay  ? 
A  thousand  ages  pass  thy  sight, 
And  all  their  long  and  weary  flight 

Is  gone  like  yesterday. 

26  201 


202  KEABIXG  HOME. 

Then  e'en  in  age  and  grief  thy  name 
Shall  still  my  languid  heart  inflame, 

And  bow  my  faltering  knee ; 
For  yet  this  bosom  feels  the  fire ; 
This  trembling  hand  and  drooping  lyre. 

Have  still  a  strain  for  thee. 

Yes !  tuneless,  broken,  still,  0  Lord, 
This  voice,  transported,  shall  record 

Thy  goodness,  tried  so  long ; 
Till  sinking  slow,  with  calm  decay, 
Its  feeble  numbers  melt  away 

Into  a  seraph's  song. 


FROM  THE  GERMAN  OF  J.  LANGE. 

What  no  human  eye  hath  seen, 
What  no  mortal  ear  hath  heard, 

What  on  thought  hath  never  been 
In  her  noblest  flights  conferred, — 

This  hath  God  prepared  in  store 

For  his  people  evermore. 

When  the  shaded  pilgrim-land 
Fades  before  my  closing  eye, 

Then,  revealed  on  either  hand, 
Heaven's  own  scenery  shall  lie ; 

Then  the  veil  of  flesh  shall  fall, 

Now  concealing,  dark'ning  all. 

Heavenly  landscapes,  calmly  bright, 
Life's  pure  river,  murmuring  low, 

Forms  of  loveliness  and  light 
Lost  to  earth  long  time  ago, — 

Yes,  my  own,  lamented  long, 

Shine  amid  the  angel  throng. 


203 


204  NEARING  HOME. 

Many  a  joyful  sight  was  given, 
Many  a  lovely  vision  here, 

Hill  and  vale,  and  starry  even, 

Friendship's  smile,  affliction's  tear, — 

These  were  shadows  sent  in  love, 

Of  realities  above. 

When  upon  my  wearied  ear, 
Earth's  last  echoes  faintly  die, 

Then  shall  angel  harps  draw  near, 
All  the  chorus  of  the  sky ; 

Long-hushed  voices  blend  again 

Sweetly  in  that  welcome  strain. 

Here  were  sweet  and  varied  tones, 
Bird  and  breeze,  and  fountain's  fall ; 

Yet  creation's  travail  groans, 
Ever  sadly  sighed  through  all ; 

There  no  discord  jars  the  air — 

Harmony  is  perfect  there  ! 

When  this  aching  heart  shall  rest, 

All  its  busy  pulses  o'er, 
From  her  mortal  robes  undrest, 

Shall  my  spirit  upward  soar ; 
Then  shall  pure,  unmingled  joy 
All  my  thoughts  and  powers  employ. 


HEAVENLY  REALITIES.  205 

Here  devotion's  healing  balm 
Often  came  to  soothe  my  breast ; 

Hours  of  deep  and  holy  calm, 
Earnests  of  eternal  rest ; 

But  the  bliss  was  here  unknown 

Which  shall  there  be   "all"  my  own. 

Jesus  reigns,  the  Life,  the  Sun, 

Of  that  wondrous  land  above ; 
All  the  clouds  and  storms  are  gone, 

All  is  light,  and  all  is  love. 
All  the  shadows  melt  away 
In  the  blaze  of  perfect  day. 


REV.  JOHN  KENNEDY. 


Very  mournful  are  some  of  the  Bible  descriptions 
of  old  age.  "  The  days  of  our  years  are  threescore 
years  and  ten ;  and  if  by  reason  of  strength  they  be 
fourscore  years,  yet  is  their  strength  labour  and  sor- 
row ;  for  it  is  soon  cut  off,  and  we  fly  away."  This 
is  no  picture  of  fancy.  Nor  is  that  which  Solomon 
gives  us  by  way  of  enforcing  the  exhortation,  "  Re- 
member now  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth," 
when  he  says,  "While  the  evil  clays  come  not,  nor 
the  years  draw  nigh,  when  thou  shalt  say,  I  have  no 
pleasure  in  them  ;  while  the  sun,  or  the  light,  or  the 
moon,  or  the  stars  be  not  darkened,  nor  the  clouds 
return  after  the  rain ; — 

uIn  the  day  when  the  keepers  of  the  house  shall  tremble, 
And  the  strong  men  shall  bow  themselves, 
And  the  grinders  cease  because  they  are  few, 
And  those  that  look  out  of  the  windows  be  darkened, 
And  the  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets, 

*  From  "  Rest  under  the  Shadow  of  the  Great  Rock.    A  Book  of 
Facts  and  Principles."     By  the  Rev.  John  Kennedy,  M.  A. 
206 


SORROWS  AND   CONSOLATIONS  OF  OLD  AGE.       207 

When  the  sound  of  the  grinding  is  low, 

And  he  shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  the  bird, 

And  all  the  daughters  of  music  shall  be  brought  low ; 

Also  when  they  shall  be  afraid  of  that  which  is  high, 

And  fears  shall  be  in  the  way, 

And  the  almond  tree  shall  nourish, 

And  the  grasshopper  shall  be  a  burden, 

And  desire  shall  fail :  because  man  goeth  to  his  long  home, 

And  the  mourners  go  about  the  streets : 

Or  ever  the  silver  cord  be  loosed,  or  the  golden  bowl  be  broken, 

Or  the  pitcher  be  broken  at  the  fountain, 

Or  the  wheel  broken  at  the  cistern. 

Then  shall  the  dust  return  to  the  earth  as  it  was : 

And  the  spirit  shall  return  unto  God  who  gave  it." 

Such  is  old  age,  and  such  its  invariable  ending. 
And  so  far  as  its  physical  aspects  are  concerned,  as 
it  is  with  the  wicked,  so  it  is  with  the  righteous. 

But  the  picture  has  another  side.  "  The  hoary 
head  is  a  crown  of  glory,  if  it  be  found  in  the  way 
of  righteousness."  Prov.  xvi.  31.  "The  righteous 
shall  flourish  like  the  palm-tree :  he  shall  grow  like 
a  cedar  in  Lebanon.  Those  that  be  planted  in  the 
house  of  the  Lord  shall  flourish  in  the  courts  of  our 
God.  They  shall  still  bring  forth  fruit  in  old  age ; 
they  shall  be  fat  and  flourishing ;  to  show  that  the 
Lord  is  upright :  he  is  my  rock,  and  there  is  no  un- 
righteousness in  him."  Psalm  xcii.  12,  15.  Even 
to  us  in  Western  lands,  who,  though  we  have  seen 
palm  trees  and  cedars,  are  not  familiar  with  them, 


208  NEARING  HOME. 

this  descrijDtion  is  very  striking  and  suggestive.  The 
ideas  of  majesty,  and  beauty,  and  fruitfulness,  and 
honour,  all  connect  themselves  with  the  cedar  and 
the  palm  tree.  "  The  palm,"  we  are  told,  "  grows 
slowly  but  steadily  from  century  to  century,  uninflu- 
enced by  those  alternations  of  the  seasons  which 
affect  other  trees.  It  does  not  rejoice  overmuch  in 
winter's  copious  rain,  nor  does  it  droop  under  the 
drought  and  the  burning  sun  of  summer.  Neither 
heavy  weights  which  men  place  upon  its  head,  nor 
the  importunate  urgency  of  the  wind,  can  sway  it 
aside  from  perfect  uprightness.  There  it  stands, 
looking  calmly  down  upon  the  world  below,  and  pa- 
tiently yielding  its  large  clusters  of  golden  fruit  from 
generation  to  generation.  They  bring  forth  fruit  in 
old  age."  When  the  Psalmist  says,  "  Those  that  be 
planted  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  shall  flourish  in  the 
courts  of  our  God,"  he  alludes  probably  to  the  cus- 
tom of  planting  beautiful  and  long-lived  trees  in  the 
courts  of  temples  and  palaces,  and  in  all  "high 
places"  for  worship — a  custom  still  common  in  the 
East.  Nearly  every  palace  and  mosque  and  convent 
in  Syria  has  such  trees  in  its  courts,  and,  being 
well-protected,  they  flourish  exceedingly.  Solomon 
covered  all  the  walls  of  the  Holy  of  Holies  with 
carvings  of  palm  trees.     They  were  thus  represented 


SORROWS  AND   CONSOLATIONS  OF  OLD  AGE.       209 

in  the  very  house  of  the  Lord ;  and  their  presence 
there  was  not  only  ornamental,  but  appropriate  and 
highly  suggestive ;  the  very  best  emblem,  not  only 
of  patience  in  well-doing,  but  of  the  rewards  of  the 
righteous — a  fat  and  flourishing  old  age,  a  peaceful 
end,  a  glorious  immortality. 

Old  age,  with  all  its  physical  infirmities  and  draw- 
backs, may  then  be  very  beautiful,  very  useful  and 
very  happy. 

But,  in  order  to  this,  the  one  grand  essential  pre- 
requisite is  that  the  old  man  should  have  faith  in  God 
and  in  his  Christ.  I  say  "in  his  Christ,"  because  a 
mere  general  faith  in  the  being  and  government  of 
God  is  not  sufficient.  "  How  dreary  would  old  age 
and  illness  be  without  the  great  doctrine  of  the 
Atonement!"  said  John  Foster,  when  himself  old 
and  ill.  He  spoke  as  a  Christian  and  with  reference 
to  his  Christian  life.  The  omissions  and  shortcom- 
ings of  the  best  life  presented  themselves  to  his  mind. 
"  One  feels,"  he  said,  "that,  in  the  great  concern  of 
religion,  much  more  might  have  been  done."  And 
it  was  this  thought  that  made  him  revert  to  the  great 
doctrine  of  the  Atonement.  Conscious  that  while  he 
had  "  lived  to  God"  he  had  lived  so  imperfectly,  had 
come  so  far  short  of  what  he  ought  to  be,  and  what 
he  ought  to  have  done,  whither  should  he  look  for 

27 


210  FEARING  HOME. 

peace  but  to  that  atonement  through  which  sin  is 
forgiven  '  and  the  sinner  reconciled  to  God?  And  if 
the  Christian's  condition  would  be  dreary  without 
free  and  daily  access  to  Christ  for  daily  cleansing  and 
pardon,  how  unutterably  dark  must  be  the  condition 
of  the  man  who,  old  and  feeble,  has  never  come  to 
Christ,  and  does  not  now  come  to  him,  but  bears  on 
his  soul  the  load  of  the  accumulated  sins  of  many 
years!  If  he  only  thinks,  let  him  look  behind  or  be- 
fore, and  he  will  find  nothing  but  darkness  :  behind, 
the  darkness  of  a  life  without  God  ;  before,  the  dark- 
ness of  an  eternity  without  God.  The  darkness  is 
such  as  may  be  felt,  and  the  wonder  is  that  it  does 
not  appal  and  overwhelm  his  spirit. 

There  is  a  second  thing  needful  in  order  to  make 
the  old  age  of  man,  like  the  old  age  of  the  palm  tree, 
fat  and  flourishing  ;  it  is  that  the  old  man  should  call 
into  constant  exercise  all  the  principles  which  belong 
to  him  as  a  Christian,  and  which  form  his  dearest 
heritage — that  of  which  neither  worldly  adversity  nor 
decay  of  nature  can  rob  him.  He  is  a  child  of  God. 
Let  him  think  of  this.  Once  far  from  God,  now 
made  nigh ;  once  an  enemy,  now  a  friend ;  once  an 
outcast  from  his  Father's  house,  now  restored  and 
pardoned :  let  him  think  of  this.  The  relation  in 
which  he  stands  to  God  is  one  so  full  of  blessing  and 


SOBBOWS  AND   CONSOLATIONS  OF  OLD  AGE.       211 

of  hope,  that  he  has  only  to  understand  it  to  find  in 
it  a  fountain  of  peace  and  strength.  It  is  natural  for 
him  amidst  his  infirmities  to  look  on  the  dark  side 
of  things,  but  his  faith  reveals  to  him  a  bright  side, 
a  very  bright  side,  and  he  will  do  himself  wrong  if 
he  does  not  strive  habitually  to  look  upon  it.  Be  it 
that  all  things  are  transient  and  changing  in  this 
world,  and  that  he  now  sees  their  emptiness  more 
than  ever,  the  God  whom  he  loves,  in  whom  he  trusts, 
his  Father  as  well  as  his  God,  is  without  change,  and 
he  is  the  portion  of  his  heart,  the  rock  of  his  defence, 
his  shield,  and  his  exceeding  great  reward.  Be  it 
that  he  has  seen  one  generation  after  another  passing 
away,  rank  after  rank  of  his  fellow-soldiers  in  the 
battle  of  life  mown  clown  by  the  scythe  of  death,  and 
that  he  finds  himself  alone  in  the  world,  pining  in 
solitude  even  though  surrounded  by  crowds  of  travel- 
lers and  soldiers  younger  than  himself,  his  God  is 
with  him,  the  Father  of  his  spirit  is  with  him,  and 
no  fellowship  can  be  more  real  or  sustaining  than 
this.  Be  it  that  he  feels  himself  now  at  the  very 
end  of  life,  those  things  which  were  once,  in  the  fu- 
ture, objects  of  desire  and  ambition,  being  now  and 
for  ever,  in  the  past,  stript  of  all  their  false  halo — that 
he  has  come  within  a  span  of  the  very  goal  of  his 
earthly  existence,  the  point  beyond  which  he  can  see 


212  NEARTNG  HOME. 

nothing,  what  does  it  amount  to  but  that  he  has 
reached  within  a  span  of  the  end  of  sin  and  sorrow, 
of  care  and  toil  ? — that  his  earthly  education  for  his 
heavenly  state  is  about  being  finished,  and  that  in  a 
few  more  months  or  years  he  will  cease  to  be  a  child, 
and  will  possess  all  the  strength  and  knowledge  of  a 
man  ?  Be  it  that  the  aged  Christian  shrinks,  as  na- 
ture will  shrink,  from  the  grave,  and  what  men  call 
the  unknown  future,  let  him  remember  that  Christ 
hath  abolished  death,  and  brought  life  and  incorrup- 
tion  to  light;  that  the  future  is  no  longer  unknown, 
the  veil  having  been  taken  away  by  Christ;  that, 
whatever  may  be  his  own  helplessness  in  the  hour  of 
the  dread  transition  from  time  into  eternity,  he  will 
hear  a  voice,  well  known  and  loved,  saying,  "Fear 
not,  for  I  am  with  thee  ;  be  not  dismayed,  for  I  am 
thy  God." 

Let  the  aged  Christian  accustom  himself  to  medi- 
tate on  these  truths  and  hopes,  and  promises  of  the 
gospel,  until  each  of  them  shall  be  as  habitually  pre- 
sent and  familiar  to  him  as  the  countenance  of  his 
dearest  friend,  and  he  may  expect  to  enjoy  an  eleva- 
tion and  a  cheerfulness  which  will  triumph  over  the 
labour  and  sorrow  of  his  fourscore  years.  Or,  if  there 
be  physical  causes  operating  involuntarily  and  irre- 
sistibly to  depress  him,   he  will  still  find  that  the 


SOBEOWS  AND   CONSOLATIONS  OF  OLD  AGE.       213 

grace  of  the  gospel  does  not  leave  itself  without  a 
witness  in  this  assurance:  " Like  as  a  father  pitieth 
his  children,  so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  him. 
For  he  knoweth  their  frame;  he  remembereth  that 
they  are  dust." 

There  is  a  third  thing  which  must  be  kept  in  view 
to  make  it  sure  that  our  old  age  shall  be  character- 
ized by  the  fruitfulness  and  beauty  of  the  palm  tree. 
And  it  is  something  that  concerns  the  young  rather 
than  the  old.  Whatsoever  that  is  which  we  should 
like  to  be  when  we  are  old — whatsoever  grace  or 
virtue  we  are  pleased  with  when  we  see  it  in  others, 
or  should  like  others  to  see  in  us — we  must  cultivate 
habitually  all  the  days  of  our  life.  No  sudden  effort, 
no  convulsive  struggle  will  make  us  at  a  bound  what 
we  ought  to  be.  Most  good  things  are  of  slow  growth, 
need  much  culture,  and  are  ripened  only  by  time. 
If  we  would  have  our  age  distinguished  by  patience, 
gentleness,  lovingness,  consideration  towards  others, 
and  by  an  all-pervading  faith  in  God,  we  must  seek 
to  attain  these  excellences  in  the  season  of  health  and 
of  earlv  life.  If  we  are  self-indulgent,  self-seeking, 
imperious,  fretful,  distrustful  of  Qrod  throughout  life, 
much  more  shall  we  be  all  this  when  the  feebleness 
of  age  has  diminished  our  self-control. 

We  are  often  surprised  by  a  manifestation  of  un- 


214  FEARING  HOME. 

lovely  tempers  on  the  part  of  aged  Christians.  These 
are  the  results  of  the  former  want  of  care  in  spiritual 
culture,  and  obtrude  themselves  so  painfully  on  those 
whose  duty  it  is  to  nurse  the  aged,  that  observers  are 
perplexed,  and  do  not  know  how  to  interpret  what  is 
so  unseemly  in  persons  who  are  supposed  to  be  ma- 
turing for  a  higher  state.  What  a  joy  it  is  on  the 
other  hand,  to  see  the  excellences  which  have  been 
conscientiously  cultivated  by  the  Christian  all  his  life 
long  shining  brightly,  and  with  all  the  freedom  and 
spontaneousness  of  a  second  nature,  in  the  aged !  The 
submission  to  God,  the  grateful  recognition  of  his 
hand  in  every  gift  and  mercy,  the  holy  patience,  the 
loving  self- forgetf ulness,  the  desire  to  be  useful  to 
others, — these  bear  witness  to  the  rich  grace  of  God 
in  converting  the  autumn  of  decay  into  a  scene  of 
spiritual  beauty.  Thus,  but  thus  only,  may  the  aged 
become  like  the  palm  tree,  and  realize  the  Psalmist's 
description. 


jprisiian's  f|fcto  of  fefertutg.* 

FROM   THE   GERMAN    OF   C.  C.  STURM. 

I'm  but  a  weary  pilgrim  here, 
Life's  varied  griefs  sustaining  ; 

The  ills  I  feel,  and  those  I  fear, 
Would  tempt  me  to  complaining : 

But,  Lord,  the  hopes  of  joys  above 

The  pains  of  pilgrimage  remove, 
Or  give  me  strength  to  bear  them. 

Oft  in  the  silence  of  the  night 
My  soul  her  griefs  is  sighing ; 

And  morn,  with  its  returning  light, 
No  respite  is  supplying : 

One  gleam  of  heaven  relief  bestows  ; 

That  home  of  rest  no  sorrow  knows, 
But  joy  reigns  there  for  ever. 

And  when  the  future  gives  alarm 
Of  evils  to  oppress  me ; 

*  Translated  by  Dr.  Mills- 


215 


216  NEAHING  HOME. 

And  anxious  fears  of  coming  harm 

Thick  gather  to  distress  me ; 
Eternity  makes  time  so  small, 
Its  fleeting  fears  and  sorrows  all 
No  longer  raise  my  terror. 

When  Death,  so  dreaded  from  afar, 
Comes  nigh,  my  days  to  number, 

That,  free  from  every  earthly  care, 
My  head  may  sink  in  slumber, 

That  peace  and  joy  may  banish  fear, 

Let  then  eternity  appear, 
With  views  of  future  glory. 

Hope,  Lord,  makes  every  burden  light, 
Its  strength  from   thee  it  borrows  ; 

That  glory — fit  me  for  its  sight, 
By  all  my  pilgrim  sorrows ! 

May  it  in  death  my  doubts  dismiss, 

And  form  my  endless  store  of  bliss 
With  thee,  in  life  eternal ! 


lim  (£be  flnttos  mx. 


ANONYMOUS. 


"  Behold,  the  noonday  sun  of  life 

Doth  seek  its  western  bound, 
And  fast  the  length'ning  shadows  cast 

A  heavier  gloom  around ; 
And  all  the  glow-worm  lamps  are  dead 

That,  kindling  round  our  way, 
Gave  fickle  promises  of  joy ; 

'Abide  with  us,  we  pray !' 

"  Dim  eve  draws  on,  and  many  a  friend, 

Our  early  path  that  blest, 
Wrapt  in  the  cerements  of  the  tomb, 

Have  lain  them  down  to  rest ; 
But  Thou,  the  everlasting  Friend, 

Whose  Spirit's  glorious  ray 
Can  gild  the  dreary  vale  of  death, 

'Abide  with  us,  we  pray !' ' 

28  217 


k*  Sttfirmitits  of  Jtge. 


ANONYMOUS. 


King  Solomon,  who  was  a  wise  observer  of  human 
nature,  gives  us*  a  full  description  of  the  infirmities 
of  age,  expressed  in  what  is  called  a  figurative  man- 
ner, the  substance  of  which  is  easily  understood, 
though,  from  not  knowing  perfectly  the  customs  or 
the  proverbial  sayings  to  which  he  alludes,  we  may 
not  be  able  exactly  to  explain  every  part  of  them. 

Solomon  describes  old  age  by  the  darkening  of  the 
sun,  the  moon  and  the  stars ;  and  the  return  of  the 
clouds  after  the  rain.  When  thick  and  heavy  clouds 
obscure  the  cheerful  light  of  the  sun  by  day,  or  of 
the  moon  and  stars  by  night,  people  complain  of  the 
dulness  of  the  weather,  as  it  checks  their  pursuits 
both  of  business  and  pleasure ;  and  thus  it  is  in  old 
age — afflictions  of  body  and  troubles  of  mind  often 
produce  a  gloom  ;  the  days  are  dull,  the  nights  are 
wearisome,  and  none  of  that  pleasure  is  felt  which 
the   young,  who   have   health,  strength,  and   lively 

*  Eccles.  xii.  1 ,  7. 
218 


THE  INFIRMITIES  OF  AGE.  219 

spirits, generally  enjoy.  And  then,  it  is  added,  "the 
clouds  return  after  the  rain" — that  is,  one  pain  and 
affliction  succeeds  another,  as  the  clouds  often  do  in  a 
rainy  season.  In  showery  weather  the  clouds  some- 
times disperse,  the  clear  shining  of  the  sun  succeeds 
for  a  little  while ;  but  soon  the  sky  is  overcast  again, 
and  a  heavy  shower  descends.  And  thus  in  old  age 
painful  disorders  are  sometimes  remitted,  and  the 
hope  that  health  is  returning  is  indulged  ;  but,  alas  ! 
the  interval  of  ease  is  short ;  the  pain  is  renewed — 
"  the  clouds  return  after  the  rain." 

Another  infirmity  of  age  is  thus  expressed — "The 
keepers  of  the  house  tremble" — the  hands  and  arms, 
like  faithful  watchmen,  were  always  ready  to  defend 
the  body  from  assaults  and  dangers ;  but  these  become 
feeble,  are  sometimes  tremulous  by  palsy,  and  can 
no  longer  prove  a  sufficient  guard  from  assaults  or 
accidents.  In  like  manner,  "the  strongmen  low  them- 
selves"— the  legs  and  thighs,  which,  in  youth  were 
like  strong  men,  able  to  bear  a  heavy  burden,  are 
now  become  feeble,  and  too  weak  to  bear  the  weight 
of  the  body,  which  totters  from  side  to  side,  and 
without  assistance  is  in  danger  of  falling  to  the 
ground!  The  foresight  of  such  a  state  led  the  Psalm- 
ist to  pray,  "  Cast  me  not  "off  in  the  time  of  old  age; 
forsake  me  not  when  my  strength  faileth." 


220  NEARING  HOME. 

The  failure  of  the  teeth,  so  useful  in  preparing  the 
food  for  its  digestion  in  the  stomach,  is  another  in- 
firmity of  age  which  the  wise  man  thus  expresses : 
"The  grinders  shall  cease  because  tliey  are  few;"  the 
teeth,  which  in  youth  grind  the  food,  like  the  stones 
in  a  corn  mill,  are  decayed,  or  loose,  or  totally  lost ; 
so  that  some  kinds  of  food  cannot  be  eaten  at  all, 
and  others  are  very  imperfectly  prepared  for  the 
stomach. 

In  old  age  the  sight  usually  fails  more  or  less, 
and  in  many  mournful  cases  is  totally  lost.  Solomon 
thus  describes  this  affliction:  "Those  that  look  out  of  the 
windows  are  darkened."  The  eyes  have  been  justly 
called  "  the  windows  of  the  soul."  From  these  win- 
dows the  mind  surveys  with  pleasure  the  faces  of 
dear  relations  and  friends,  and  the  delightful  pros- 
pects of  nature ;  discovers  the  approaches  of  danger, 
and  reads  the  page  of  instruction.  But  all  these 
sources  of  pleasure  and  safety  are  closed ;  the  day  is 
gone ;  the  night,  the  long  dark  night,  which  will 
know  no  morning  in  this  life,  is  come ;  and  half  the 
world,  as  to  our  enjoyment  of  it,  is  shut  out  for  the 
rest  of  our  days. 

"The  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets,  when  the  sound 
of  the  grinding  is  low."  There  seems  to  be  an  allusion 
here  to  the  custom  of  the  ancients,  who,  early  in  the 


THE  INFIRMITIES  OF  AGE.  221 

morning,  as  soon  as  the  doors  of  the  house  were 
ojDened,  ground  their  corn  for  the  day  in  a  hand-mill, 
If  this  refers  to  the  grinding  of  food  by  the  teeth, 
then  it  may  signify  the  want  of  appetite  and  the 
refusal  of  food.  Or  it  may  signify  their  loving  to 
stay  at  home,  and  keeping  the  doors  of  the  house 
shut  to  prevent  being  disturbed  by  company.  Others 
think  it  refers  to  "the  door  of  the  lips,"  and  the 
aversion  of  aged  people  to  speak  much,  especially  in 
public. 

11  And  he  shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  the  bird."  Old 
age  is  usually  wakeful.  Sleep,  the  "  sweet  restorer 
of  tired  nature,"  often  departs  from  the  eyes  of  the 
aged,  or,  if  they  sleep,  they  are  easily  disturbed. 
Even  the  crowing  of  the  cock  or  the  chirping  of 
the  birds  will  awake  them ;  and  often,  unable  to 
rest  and  tired  of  bed,  they  will  rise  at  a  very  early 
hour. 

uAnd  all  the  daughters  of  music  shall  be  brought  low." 
Age  generally  loses  its  relish  for  music  and  singing. 
That  which  was,  perhaps,  a  great  delight  becomes 
rather  a  burden ;  the  breathing  is  short  and  the  voice 
tremulous.  Aged  Barzillai,  whom  King  David  would 
have  taken  to  court,  declined  the  proposal,  saying, 
"  I  am  this  day  fourscore  years  old  ;  can  I  hear  any 
more  the  voice  of  singing  men  and  singing  women  ? 


222  NEARING  BOME. 

Wherefore,  then,  should  thy  servant  he  yet  a  burden 
to  my  lord  the  king  ?" 

Another  token  of  old  age  is,  "They  shall  be  afraid 
of  that  which  is  high,  and  fears  shall  be  in  the  way." 
Steep  ascents  are  very  difficult  to  the  aged ;  a  hill 
alarms  their  fears,  for  it  threatens  to  produce  much 
pain  and  weariness.  Travelling  now  seems  formid- 
able to  them.  The  young  are  often  too  bold,  and 
venture  into  needless  dangers ;  and  the  old  are  too 
timorous,  and  full  of  fear  lest  mischief  should  befall 
them.  They  prefer,  therefore,  staying  at  home,  and 
not  exposing  themselves  to  harm  abroad. 

"The  almond  tree  shall  flourish."  The  almond  tree, 
with  its  white  blossoms,  is  a  beautiful  emblem  of  the 
hoary  head.  Gray  or  white  hairs  are  the  common 
symptoms  of  age,  and  may  be  considered  as  truly 
ornamental,  for  "the  glory  of  young  men  is  their 
strength:  and  the  beauty  of  old  men  is  the  gray 
head."  Pro  v.  xx.  29.  God  himself  put  honour 
upon  it  in  the  law,  saying,  "  Thou  shalt  rise  up 
before  the  hoary  head,  and  honour  the  face  of  the 
old  man,  and  fear  thy  God :  I  am  the  Lord."  Lev. 
xix.  32.  But  let  the  aged  remember  that  these  blos- 
soms are  certain  intimations  of  the  approach  of 
death ;  they  have  been  called  "  churchyard  flowers," 
which,  as  one  says,  "  may  serve  to  them  that  bear 


THE  INFIRMITIES  OF  AGE.  223 

them,  instead  of  passing  bells,  to  give  them  certain 
notice  whither  they  are  shortly  going." 

"And  the  grasshopper  shall  be  a  burden"  This  signi- 
fies the  extreme  feebleness  of  the  aged,  when  the 
lightest  thing  may  be  a  load — when  reduced  to  such 
weakness  and  nervous  sensibility  that  the  least  in- 
convenience, though  it  may  be  as  trifling  as  the 
weight  or  the  chirping  of  an  insect,  may  vex  and 
fret  them. 

11  And  desire  shall  fail"  Those  animal  passions 
and  desires  which  in  youth  were  so  strong  and  vio- 
lent, and  too  often  the  occasion  of  so  much  sin,  now 
gradually  decline  as  years  increase  and  strength 
decays.  And  it  is  well  it  is  so,  for  now  it  is  high 
time  to  get  the  heart  weaned  from  the  world  and  a 
life  of  sense,  and  to  "  set  the  affections  upon  things 
above." 

Then  shall  "  the  silver  cord  be  loosed — the  golden 
bowl  broken — the  pitcher  be  broken  at  the  fountain,  and 
the  wheel  broken  at  the  cistern."  The  whole  verse 
seems  to  be  a  description  of  the  functions  of  life,  taken 
from  a  well,  where  there  is  a  cord  to  the  bowl  or 
bucket  with  which  the  water  is  drawn  up ;  a  wheel 
by  which  more  easily  to  raise  it ;  a  cistern  into  which 
it  may  be  poured ;  and  a  pitcher  or  vessel  to  carry 
it  away  with  ;  but  now  all  these  are  broken  and  be- 


224  NEAPJNG  HOME. 

come  useless.  Thus,  at  death,  the  lungs  cease  to  play, 
the  heart  ceases  to  beat,  the  blood  to  circulate ;  the 
whole  surprising  contrivance  for  forming  and  circu- 
lating the  blood  from  the  fountain  of  the  heart  to 
every  extremity  of  the  body  is  now  entirely  de- 
ranged.* 

What  follows  this  derangement?  "  Then  shall  the 
dust  return  to  the  earth  as  it  ivas :  and  the  spirit  shall 
return  unto  God  who  gave  it."  Then  "  man  goeth  to 
his  long  home,  and  the  mourners  go  about  the  streets." 

How  solemn  are  these  words  !  They  demand  our 
most  serious  attention.  When  death  takes  place  a 
separation  is  made  between  the  mortal  body  and  the 
immortal  spirit.  The  body  soon  corrupts,  must  be 
buried  out  of  sight,  and  quickly  returns  to  its  mother 
earth.  But  the  spirit — the  immortal  spirit — what 
becomes  of  that?  Does  it  cease  to  exist?  No;  "it 
returns  to  God  who  gave  it"  to  be  disposed  of  accord- 
ing to  his  holy  and  sovereign  pleasure.  If  the  spirit 
has  been  renewed  by  grace  and  made  meet  for  glory, 
it  departs  from  the  body  to  be  with  Christ — "  absent 
from  the  body,  present  with  the  Lord ;"  for  "  blessed 
are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord."  But  if  the 
sinner  died  in  a  graceless  state,  unpardoned  and  un- 
renewed, it  sinks  into  endless  perdition.     The  spirits 

*  Scott's  Commentary. 


THE  INFIRMITIES  OF  AGE.  225 

of  the  just  are  made  perfect,  and  immediately  pass 
into  glory  ;  but  the  spirits  of  the  wicked  "  go  to  their 
own  place,"  as  Judas  did,  and,  with  the  ungodly  rich 
man  in  the  parable,  are  tormented. 

"  The  mourners  go  about  the  streets."  Most  men  die 
lamented  by  some,  either  sincerely  or  in  appearance. 
A  funeral  is  a  solemn  sight,  and  ought  to  be  con- 
ducted and  viewed  with  deep  seriousness.  The 
mourners  are  conveying  a  dear  relation,  a  kind  friend 
or  a  valued  neighbour  to  his  "  long  home" — so  the 
grave  is  here,  with  great  propriety,  styled  his 
long  home.  The  deceased  had,  perhaps,  resided  in 
various  dwellings  during  the  course  of  a  long  life. 
He  removed  from  one  habitation  to  another,  as  oc- 
casion required;  but  the  grave  is  his  last,  his  long 
home.  Thus,  as  Job  speaks,  "  Man  lieth  down,  and 
riseth  not:  till  the  heavens  be  no  more,  they  shall  not 
awake,  nor  be  raised  out  of  their  sleep."  But,  as  St. 
Paul  assures  us,  "  the  trumpet  shall  sound,  and  the 
dead  shall  be  raised ;"  and  then,  saith  Job,  "  Thou 
shalt  call,  and  I  will  ansAver  thee :  thou  wilt  have  a 
desire  to  the  work  of  thy  hands."  Job  xiv.  12-15. 

The  infirmities  of  age  ought  to  teach  us  the  evil  of 
sin.  If  sin  had  not  entered  into  the  world,  these  in- 
firmities would  not  have  been  known.  There  would 
have  been  no  pains  and  aches,  no  failure  of  hearing 

29 


226  HEARING  HOME. 

and  sight,  no  wearisome  days  nor  sleepless  nights 
These  are  all  the  fruits  and  effects  of  sin.  If  man 
had  not  sinned,  he  would  not  have  suffered  by  age 
any  more  than  angels  do  :  they  have  lived  many 
thousand  years,  and  they  still  enjoy  all  the  vigour  of 
youth  ;  but  man  lives  several  years  before  he  attains 
maturity ;  his  manly  vigour  lasts  but  a  little  while, 
and  then  he  fades  like  a  leaf  or  withers  like  a  flower; 
l-  The  wind  passeth  over  it,  and  it  is  gone,  and  the 
place  thereof  knoweth  it  no  more."  Surely,  then,  the 
aged  man  should  reflect  on  the  evil  of  sin,  which  is 
the  sad  cause  of  all  his  sufferings  ;  for  sin  is  the  dis- 
ease, and  all  our  afflictions  are  but  the  symptoms  of 
it.  In  some  cases  the  aged  may  perceive  that  par- 
ticular sufferings  are  the  effects  of  particular  sins  ; 
and  may  cry,  with  one  of  old,  "  Thou  writest  bitter 
things  against  me,  and  makest  me  to  possess  the  in- 
iquities of  my  youth"  (Job  xiii.  26)  ;  or,  as  it  is  in  an- 
other place,  "His  bones  are  full  of  .the  sin  of  his 
youth,  which  shall  lie  down  with  him  in  the  dust." 
Job  xx.  11. 

The  certain  approach  of  death  is  another  lesson 
taught  by  the  infirmities  of  age.  The  young  may  die, 
but  the  aged  must.  Death  may  be  near  a  man  at  any 
age;  but  it  must  be  very  near  the  old  man.  "As 
the  Lord  liveth,  there  is  but  a  step  between  thee  and 


THE  INFIRMITIES  OF  AGE.  227 

death."  It  is  at  the  door.  Do  not  you  hear  it  knock  ? 
Your  aching  limbs,  your  failing  sight,  your  trembling 
hand,  are  all  certain  signs  of  the  great  approaching 
change.  Are  you  then  prepared  to  die  ?  Have  you 
believed  in  Christ?  Have  you,  as  a  guilty  sinner, 
fled  to  him  for  refuge  ?  Has  your  heart  been  renewed 
by  grace  ?  Are  you  become  "  a  new  creature  in  Christ 
Jesus?"  Are  you  "made  meet,"  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  "  for  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light?" 

These  are  some  of  the  questions  which  you  ought 
to  ask  yourselves.  Put  these  questions  to  your 
hearts,  and  rest  not  without  honest  answers  to  them. 
If  you  have  neglected  the  care  of  your  soul  till  now, 
how  deeply  should  you  repent  the  shameful  delay ; 
and  how  earnest  should  you  be  in  your  prayers  for 
the  pardoning  mercy  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ, 
that  now,  though  it  be  so  late,  even  at  the  eleventh 
hour,  you  may  obtain  the  salvation  you  have  hitherto 
slighted  and  refused !  Not  a  moment  more  must  be 
lost.  Oh  then  "  seek  the  Lord  while  he  may  be 
found,  call  upon  him  while  he  is  near.  Let  the 
wicked  forsake  his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his 
thoughts ;  and  let  him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he 
will  have  mercy  upon  him ;  and  to  our  God,  for  he 
will  abundantly  pardon." 

But   let  the  believer  rejoice,   for  his  redemption 


228  NEARING  HOME. 

draweth  nigh.  It  is  nearer  than  when  he  first  be- 
lieved. While  yon  remain  in  the  body,  Christ  will 
continue  to  support  and  comfort  you.  God  is  faithful, 
who  will  not  suffer  you  to  be  tried  above  what  you 
are  able  to  bear.  As  your  day  is,  so  shall  vour 
strength  be.  God  will  give  you  patience  to  endure 
all  your  pains  and  infirmities  ;  and  he  has  said,  I  will 
never,  never  leave  nor  forsake  you ;  and  then,  in  his 
own  good  time,  he  will  relieve  you  from  the  burden 
of  the  flesh,  and  give  you  an  abundant  entrance  into 
his  eternal  kingdom  and  glory. 

Yet  a  season,  and  you  know 

Happy  entrance  will  be  given — 
All  your  sorrows  left  below, 

And  earth  exchanged  for  heaven. 


||0;DS    to    ®01tt£.  • 

FROM    THE   GERMAN    OF    H.  C.  VON   SCHWEINITZ 

Will  not  that  joyful  be, 
When  we  walk  by  faith  no  more, 
When  the  Lord  we  loved  before 

As  Brother- man  we  see  ; 
When  he  welcomes  us  above, 
When  we  share  his  smile  of  love, 

Will  not  that  joyful  be? 

Will  not  that  joyful  be, 
When  to  meet  us  rise  and  come 
All  our  buried  treasures  home, 

A  gladsome  company ! 
When  our  arms  embrace  again 
Those  we  mourned  so  long  in  vain, 

Will  not  that  joyful  be? 

Will  not  that  joyful  be, 
When  the  foes  we  dread  to  meet, 
Every  one  beneath  our  feet 

We  tread  triumphantly ! 


229 


230  BEARING  HOME. 

When  we  never  more  can  know 
Slightest  touch  of  pain  or  woe, 
Will  not  that  joyful  be? 

Will  not  that  joyful  be, 
When  we  hear  what  none  can  tell 
And  the  ringing  chorus  swell 

Of  angels'  melody ! 
When  we  join  their  songs  of  praise, 
Hallelujahs  with  them  raise, 

Will  not  that  joyful  be  ? 

Yes  !  that  will  joyful  be, 
Let  the  world  her  gifts  recall, 
There  is  bitterness  in  all, 

Her  joys  are  vanity  ! 
Courage,  dear  ones  of  my  heart ! 
Though  it  grieves  us  here  to  part, 

There  we  will  joyful  be ! 


>  G3  fij 


ANONYMOUS. 


It  is  well,  in  every  period  of  the  Christian  life,  to 
have  a  right  estimate  of  our  own  strength.  The 
advanced  believer  is  as  unable  by  his  own  power  to 
defend  himself  from  sin  and  sorrow  as  the  youthful 
Christian.  But  to  each — and  with  peculiar  force  to 
the  aged  pilgrim,  whose  lengthened  experience  and 
deepened  humility  make  him  so  distrustful  of  self- — 
the  promise  comes  of  Almighty  help  and  succour. 
"As  thy  days,"  says  the  God  of  Israel,  "  so  shall  thy 
strength  be."*  In  everv  moment  of  need,  "Fear 
thou  not;  for  I  am  with  thee:  be  not  dismayed;  for  I 
am  thy  Grod."f  When  difficulties  and  dangers  arise 
in  your  path,  let  not  the  thought  of  your  own  weak- 
ness and  insufficiency  discourage  you;  for  "I  will 
strengthen  thee;  yea,  I  will  help  thee;  yea,  I  will 
uphold  thee  with  the  right  hand  of  my  righteous- 
ness."!     "Without  me  ye  can   do  nothing  ;"||    but 

*  Deut.  xxxiii.  25.  f  Isa.  xli.  10  t  Isa.  xli.  10. 

|j  John  xv.  5. 

231 


232  NEARINQ  HOME. 

"  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee :  fcr  my  strength  is 
made  perfect  in  weakness."* 

Take  courage,  aged  Christian,  as  yon  listen  to  these 
cheering  assurances  of  the  most  high  God;  and  re- 
joice that  he  is  able  to  "supply  all  your  need  accord- 
ing to  his  riches  in  glory  by  Christ  Jesus. "f  For, 
remember,  the  strength  which  his  promises  guarantee 
to  you  is  adequate  strength.  "As  thy  days,  so  shall 
thy  strength  be ;"  the  one  fully  commensurate  with 
the  other.  Your  present  necessities  and  your  future 
wants  might  well  till  you  with  distress  and  appre- 
hension, did  not  God  stand  engaged  to  prepare  you 
for  every  emergency  and  to  sustain  you  under  every 
burden.  But  since  the  omnipotent  Creator  has 
pledged  himself  to  furnish  his  people  with  whatever 
spiritual  energy  they  require  in  their  perpetual  con- 
flict, you  may  gratefully  exclaim  with  the  Psalmist, 
"  The  Lord  is  my  rock,  and  my  fortress,  and  my  do 
liverer;  my  God,  my  strength,  in  whom  I  will  trust. "J 
Yes,  "trust  in  him  at  all  times,"  "for  in. the  Lord 
Jehovah  is  everlasting  strength."  Let  no  misgivings 
disturb  your  mind  as  you  think  of  approaching  and 
augmented  trials;  for  with  the  increased  demand  for 
strength  you  may  confidently  calculate  upon  an  in- 
creased supply.     Now  you  are  looking,  perhaps,  at 

*  2  Cur.  xii.  0.  f  Phil.  iv.  19.  J  Psa.  xviii.  2. 


THE  PROMISED   STRENGTH.  233 

some  great  trouble  in  the  distance,  and  you  are  feel- 
ing as  if,  when  it  arrives,  you  must  sink  under  it. 
Ah,  you  are  estimating  your  power  of  endurance 
then  by  what  it  is  now ;  you  are  supposing  that,  with 
your  present  weakness,  you  are  summoned  to  a  more 
arduous  encounter  than  you  have  hitherto  met  with, 
and  you  are  mournfully  anticipating  an  inevitable 
failure.  But  do  you  not  perceive  that  your  conclu- 
sion is  drawn  from  wrong  premises  ?  You  will  not 
have  to  grapple  with  increased  difficulties  before  you 
are  able  to  surmount  them.  God  will  never  call  you 
to  the  fulfilment  of  any  duty,  nor  the  endurance  of 
any  trial,  without  having  first  provided  for  you  suf- 
ficient strength  for  the  occasion. 

But  the  promised  strength  is  daily  strength.  "As 
thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be."  You  must  not 
expect  to  have  a  large  stock  on  hand  which  will  last 
you  for  a  long  time ;  nor  endeavour  to  make  the 
strength  of  to-day  suffice  for  the  wants  of  to-morrow; 
but  in  every  fresh  period  of  conflict  and  suffering  you 
must  seek  for  fresh  strength  from  above.  You  can- 
not live  upon  past  supplies,  but  you  may  safely  rely 
upon  present  and  future  succour.  The  spiritual  aid 
which  you  require  will  always  be  vouchsafed  at  the 
right  time.  Each  day,  each  season  of  renewed  solici- 
tude will  bring  with  it  its  own  appointed  strength. 

30 


234  N EARING  HOME. 

It  may  be  that  you  are  advanced,  not  in  years  only, 
but  also  in  Christian  experience ;  still  you  must  de- 
pend as  perpetually  and  as  entirely  now  upon  the 
help  of  God  as  you  did  at  the  commencement  of 
your  religious  life.  Day  by  day,  hour  by  hour,  mo- 
ment by  moment,  you  must  trust  in  him  and  look  to 
him. 

And  the  strength  which  he  grants  to  his  children 
is  appropriate  strength.  uAs  thy  days,  so  shall  thy 
strength  be."  The  days  of  the  spiritual  life  are  as 
varied  as  the  days  of  the  natural  life.  Sometimes 
they  are  bright  with  hope  and  prosperity;  sometimes 
they  are  dark  with  disappointment  and  sorrow. 
There  are  days  when  our  path  lies  through  green  and 
flowery  meadows ;  and  there  are  days  when  our  road 
is  through  a  tangled  forest  or  along  the  edge  of  a 
precipice.  At  one  time  we  have  to  toil  up  the  Hill 
Difficulty  ;  at  another,  to  fight  our  way  through  the 
Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death.  Now  there  is  a 
beautiful  adaptation  in  God's  grace  to  the  diversified 
circumstances  of  his  people's  history.  Have  you  not 
found  it  to  be  so,  dear  reader  ?  Have  you  not  felt  in 
your  times  of  need  that  there  was  an  exact  minute- 
ness in  God's  gracious  dealings  with  you — that  there 
was  a  delicate  adjustment  in  the  bestowal  of  his 
varied  gifts?     Expect   the  same  considerateness   in 


THE  PROMISED  STRENGTH.  235 

his  conduct  still.  Believe  that  the  strength  which 
he  prepares  for  you  is  suitable,  as  well  as  sufficient. 

What  day  is  it  with  you  now  ?  The  day  of  physi- 
cal infirmity  ?  Is  your  health  declining,  your  energy 
abating,  your  faculties  one  by  one  becoming  impaired? 
Is  yours  the  day  so  graphically  described  by  the 
royal  preacher,  "  when  the  keepers  of  the  house  shall 
tremble,  and  the  strong  men  shall  bow  themselves, 
and  the  grinders  cease  because  they  are  few,  and  those 
that  look  out  of  the  windows  be  darkened ; — when 
they  shall  be  afraid  of  that  which  is  high,  and  fears 
shall  be  in  the  way,  and  the  almond  tree  shall  flour- 
ish, and  the  grasshopper  shall  be  a  burden,  and  de- 
sire shall  fail?"*  Then  remember  God's  promise, 
"  Even  to  hoar  hairs  will  I  carry  you."f  Carry  you 
— not  leave  you  to  bear  up  as  you  best  can  under  the 
burden  which  old  age  brings  with  it,  but  uphold  you 
with  his  own  everlasting  arm.  He  will  help  you 
to  endure  with  cheerfulness  and  resignation  the  pain 
which  is  occasioned  by  the  decay  of  nature. 

Is  it  the  day  of  mental  depression  ?  The  infirmities 
and  sufferings  of  the  body  often  affect  the  mind. 
They  cast  a  gloom  over  the  spirits  and  throw  a 
shadow  over  our  prospects.  "  Our  mind  is  like  a 
stained  or  clouded  glass,  which  mars  the  hue  of  what 
*  Eccles.  xif.  3-5.  t  Isa.  xlvi.  4. 


236  NEARING  HOME. 

is  bright  and  deepens  what  is  sombrous."  We  are 
discomposed  and  disheartened  by  trifles ;  we  are 
frightened  at  shadows.  All  around  us  and  before 
us  looks  dark  and  gloomy.  Well,  there  is  One  who 
knoweth  our  frame,  and  remembereth  that  we  are 
dust ;  and  he  can  support  and  strengthen  our  dis- 
turbed and  fearful  spirits.  We  need  not  be  ashamed 
to  disclose  to  him  our  mental  weakness ;  he  feels  for 
us  all,  nay,  more  than  a  father's  tenderness ;  for  as 
one  whom  his  mother  comforteth,  so  will  he  comfort 
us.  "He  giveth  power  to  the  faint;  and  to  them 
that  have  no  might  he  increaseth  strength."* 

Is  it  the  day  of  spiritual  conflict?  Are  you  sore 
let  and  hindered  in  your  endeavours  to  press  toward 
the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in 
Christ  Jesus  ?  Do  your  unseen  enemies  seem  to  in- 
crease? are  their  assaults  more  malignant?  and  is 
your  own  heart  inclined  to  yield  to  temptation  ?  The 
great  adversary  of  mankind  is  sometimes  permitted 
to  attack  with  unusual  violence  the  soul  of  the  aged 
Christian.  Sins  which  the  believer  imagined  were 
long  since  subdued  rise  up  as  it  were  into  new  life ; 
thoughts  and  feelings  utterly  at  variance  with  his 
renewed  mind  seem  almost  forced  upon  him ;  and 
the  fiery  darts  of  the  wicked  one  are  hurled  at  him 

*  Iaa.  xl.  29. 


THE  PROMISED  STRENGTH.  237 

without  intermission.  Is  this  painful  experience 
yours  ?  Be  not  alarmed  or  discouraged  by  it.  God 
is  faithful,  and  he  will  not  suffer  you  to  be  tempted 
above  that  which  you  are  able  to  bear ;  but  he  will 
strengthen  you  for  your  last  struggle  with  a  disap- 
pointed and  already  vanquished  foe.  Clad  in  the 
panoply  which  God  provides  for  you,  and  furnished 
with  those  weapons  which  through  him  are  mighty 
to  repel  and  overcome  your  spiritual  enemies,  you 
shall  be  enabled  to  stand  in  the  evil  day,  and  having 
done  all  to  stand.  It  is  true  you  are  weak,  but  his 
strength  is  perfected  in  weakness ;  it  is  true  your  in- 
firmities are  many,  but  his  power  rests  upon  you. 
Fear  not ;  look  to  the  Captain  of  your  salvation ; 
follow  his  directions;  rely  upon  his  assistance,  and 
you  shall  at  last  be  "  more  than  conqueror  through 
him  that  loved  you."* 

Is  it  the  day  of  temporal  distress?  Are  you  poor? 
in  want  of  the  necessaries  or  the  comforts  of  life? 
incapable  of  supporting  yourself  by  the  labour  of 
your  hands,  and  obliged  to  depend  on  the  charity  of 
others  ?  Or  are  those  clear  to  you  in  adversity  ?  are 
you  obliged  to  witness  sufferings  that  you  cannot  al- 
leviate, and  to  hear  of  troubles  which  you  can  neither 
remove  nor  lighten  ?     Or  have  you  been  bereaved  of 

*  Rom.  viii.  37. 


238  NEABIXG  HOME. 

some  beloved  relative,  some  cherished  friend,  with 
whom  you  were  associated  in  the  closest  union,  and 
to  whom  you  looked  for  sympathy  and  affection.  Are 
these,  or  similar  afflictions,  the  crosses  which  you 
have  to  take  up  and  carry,  and  do  you  tremble  be- 
neath their  weight  ?  Then  cast  your  burden  upon 
the  Lord,  and  he  will  sustain  you.  fie  will  strengthen 
your  faith  to  believe  that  these  mysterious  dispensa- 
tions are  necessary  for  your  real  welfare;  he  will 
strengthen  your  love  to  receive  with  meekness  and 
gratitude  the  discipline  of  a  kind  and  tender  Father ; 
he  will  strengthen  your  hope  to  anticipate  those 
glorious  things  which  are  unseen  and  eternal,  and 
to  reckon  your  present  sufferings  as  unworthy  of 
a  moment's  comparison  with  "  the  glory  which  shall 
be  revealed."* 

But  there  is  one  day  rapidly  approaching  when 
you  will  pre-eminently  require  the  succour  and  sup- 
port of  an  Almighty  hand — the  day  of  death.  Ah ! 
that  is  a  solemn  day  even  to  the  believer.  A  dark- 
ness, a  mystery  rests  upon  our  last  conflict  which  ex- 
cites feelino-s  of  seriousness  and  awe  in  all  thoughtful 
minds.  And  when  there  is  great  sensitiveness  of 
temperament  and  timidity  of  disposition,  the  Chris- 
tian often  shrinks  painfully  from  the  contemplation 

*  Rom.  viii.  18. 


THE  PROMISED  STRENGTH.  239 

of  death,  and  through  fear  of  it  is  perhaps  all  his 
life-time  subject  to  bondage.  But  why  should  you 
fear  the  approach  of  the  last  enemy?  If  God  pro- 
mises that  as  your  day  your  strength  shall  be,  surely 
he  will  make  that  promise  good  in  the  day  of  your 
mortal  agony.  When  you  pass  through  the  dark 
valley  he  will  be  with  you ;  his  rod  and  staff  will 
guide  and  comfort  you.  When  heart  and  flesh  shall 
faint  and  fail,  he  will  be  the  strength  of  your  heart 
and  your  portion  for  ever. 

A  vouno-  Christian  once  said  to  a  minister, 
"Although  I  trust  implicitly  in  the  Saviour,  and 
rejoice  in  him  as  mine,  yet  I  look  upon  death  as  very 
terrible."  At  that  time  she  was  in  perfect  health. 
The  reply  was,  "  Doubt  not  that,  according  to  his 
sure  word,  'As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be ;' 
and  that  there  shall  be  dying  grace  for  a  dying  day." 
Not  long  after  mortal  sickness  seized  her,  but  her 
"peace  flowed  like  a  river;"  and  again  and  again,  as 
her  fond  mother  and  loving  sisters  watched  by  her 
bed  of  suffering,  did  she  exclaim,  "  Oh,  how  true  do  I 
find  the  assurance  given  me  that  there  would  be 
dying  grace  for  a  dying  day !" 

"  Yes,  in  your  latest  moments,  when  with  death 
And  Satan  thou  must  struggle,  and  not  yield  ; 
When  with  dim  eye  and  quickly-heaving  breath, 
Thou  enterest  on  that  solemn  battle-field ; 


240  NEARWQ  HOME. 

Thy  Saviour,  who  has  succoured  thee  through  life, 
Will  nerve  thy  spirit  for  the  closing  strife ; 
Will  lead  thee  on  to  glorious  victory ; 
For  as  thy  days  thy  strength  shall  surely  be." 

And  then  there  is  the  day  of  final  judgment — that 
last  day  when  all  the  dead  shall  be  gathered  around 
the  great  white  throne  of  the  Eternal,  and  hear  from 
his  lips  the  irreversible  sentence  which  shall  fix  their 
everlasting  destiny.  Oh,  the  unutterable  moment- 
ousness  of  that  decision  !  How  will  you  have  cour- 
age to  listen  to  it?  How  will  you  stand  with  any 
calmness  before  that  awful  judgment-seat,  and  hear 
the  records  of  the  past  and  the  awards  of  the  future? 
Ah,  strength  shall  be  given  you  in  that  trying  hour — 
strength  so  unfailing  and  so  indomitable  that  you 
shall  meet  without  fear  the  scrutiny  of  him  who  is 
of  purer  eyes  than  to  behold  iniquity.  The  sweet 
assurance  will  then  be  yours  that  to  those  who  are 
in  Christ  Jesus  there  is,  there  can  be,  no  condemna- 
tion ;  that,  clothed  in  the  robe  of  his  righteousness, 
and  sanctified  by  the  grace  of  his  Spirit,  you  are 
faultless  in  God's  sight.  Who  shall  lay  anything 
to  your  charge,  when  God  himself  will  be  your 
justifier? 

Thus  his  blessed  promise,  "As  thy  days,  so  shall 
thy  strength  be,"  will  never  fail.     Through  life,  in 


THE  PROMISED  STRENGTH.  241 

death,  and  before  the  judgment- seat,  it  will  be  richly 
fulfilled  in  your  experience.  Oh,  the  comfort  of 
feeling  sure  that,  however  wearisome  and  difficult  the 
path  of  duty  or  of  suffering  may  prove,  God  will 
impart  to  us  adequate  and  appropriate  strength,  and 
guide  us  in  safety  to  the  heavenly  Canaan ! 

Dr.  Doddridge  was  walking  out  one  day  in  a  very 
depressed  state  of  mind.  His  trials  were  at  that 
time  peculiarly  heavy  ;  he  saw  no  way  of  deliverance 
from  them,  and  he  was  greatly  discouraged.  As  he 
passed  along,  the  door  of  a  little  cottage  was  stand- 
ing open,  and  he  heard  a  child's  voice  reading  the 
words,  "As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be."  The 
effect  produced  upon  his  saddened  feelings  was  inde- 
scribable ;  his  despondency  vanished,  and  his  heart 
was  filled  with  peace  and  joy. 

Yes,  one  simple  promise  from  God  is  enough  to 
chase  our  fears  and  cheer  our  hearts.  Our  wants 
and  weaknesses  are  many,  but  he  knows  them  all, 
and  is  both  able  and  willing  to  supply  our  every 
need.  Then  let  us  "seek  the  Lord,  and  his 
strength;"*  let  our  earnest  and  constant  petitions  at 
the  throne  of  grace  be,  "  Give  thy  strength  unto  thy 
servant ;"  "  strengthen  thou  me  according  unto  thy 
word."f     For  it  is  they  who  wait  upon  the  Lord  that 

*  Psa.  cv.  4.  f  Psa.  lxxxvi.  16 ;  cxix.  28. 

31 


242  NEAEING  HOME. 

shall  renew  their  strength.  "  Wait,"  then,  "  on  the 
Lord :  be  of  good  courage,  and  he  shall  strengthen 
thine  heart."*  The  faithfulness  of  his  character  is 
your  security  for  the  fulfilment  of  his  promises ;  for 
"the  Strength  of  Israel  will  not  lie  nor  repent ;"f 
"  Hath  he  said,  and  shall  he  not  do  it?  or  hath  he 
spoken,  and  shall  he  not  make  it  good?"J  And  his 
conduct  to  his  people  in  past  days  is  a  pledge  of  his 
readiness  to  help  them  now ;  for  he  is  "  the  same 
yesterday,  and  to-day,  and  for  ever."§  He  has  been 
a  strength  to  the  poor — a  strength  to  the  needy  in 
his  distress;  and  he  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a 
very  present  help  in  trouble. 

"Let  us  therefore  come  boldly  unto  the  throne  of 
grace,  that  we  may  obtain  mercy,  and  find  grace  to 
help  in  time  of  need."|  There  should  be  no  hesi- 
tation on  our  part  to  apply  for  the  strength  which 
we  require,  for  there  is  no  reluctance  on  God's  part 
to  communicate  it.  In  his  hand  it  is  to  give  strength 
to  all.  A  sense  of  our  weakness,  and  a  cry  for  his 
aid,  are  the  only  pre-requisites  for  its  bestowal. 

But  how  is  this  strength  imparted  ?  It  is  the  gift 
of  God,  and  through  grace  is  laid  hold  of  by  faith. 
Faith  is  the  hand  which  grasps  and  appropriates  the 

*  Psa.  xxv.  14.         f  1  Sam,  xv.  29.         J  Num.  xxiii.  19. 
I  Ileb.  xiii.  S.  ||  Heb.  iv.  16. 


THE  PROMISED  STRENGTH.  243 

promises,  and  thus  fills  the  soul  with  an  all-sustain- 
ing, all-conquering  energy.  The  Holy  Spirit,  by 
whom  all  spiritual  blessings  are  bestowed,  brings  to 
the  Christian  just  the  strength  which  he  needs,  and 
teaches  him  to  embrace  it  by  faith.  That  faith  may 
be  weak ;  but  its  efficacy  depends  upon  the  reality, 
not  the  degree  of  our  faith ;  and,  therefore,  if  we  sin- 
cerely trust  in  God,  through  Christ,  we  may  assuredly 
expect  that  the  aid  which  we  look  for,  and  for  which 
we  supplicate,  will  be  granted  us.  Yet,  while  it  is 
true  that  the  smallest  amount  of  true  faith  forms,  so 
to  speak,  a  channel  through  which  God's  grace  flows 
into  our  hearts,  it  is  equally  true  that  a  stronger 
degree  of  faith  is  more  honouring  to  God,  Avhile  it 
would  lead  us  to  anticipate,  and  prepare  us  to  receive, 
a  far  greater  measure  of  heavenly  assistance  than  we 
now  possess.  "According  to  your  faith,"  says  the 
Saviour,"  be  it  unto  you  ;"*  and,  therefore,  if  we  de- 
sire to  run  without  weariness,  to  walk  without  faint- 
ing, and  to  mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles  towards 
our  rest  above,  we  should  make  the  request  of  his 
disciples  our  own,  "  Lord,  increase  our  faith."f 

Your  "  wanderings  in  the  wilderness,"  reader,  may 
be  now  drawing  towards  a  close.  It  will,  then,  not 
be  long  before  you  will  be  called  to  pass  over  the 

*  Matt.  ix.  29.  t  Luke  xvii.  5. 


244  NEARING  HOME. 

river  Jordan,  that  you  may  enter  the  promised  land. 
Yet,  as  we  have  seen,  new  trials  may  have  to  be 
encountered  in  the  last  stages  of  your  lengthened 
and  perhaps  wearisome  journey.  There  is  no  immu- 
nity from  sorrow  until  you  reach  that  blessed  country, 
where  God  shall  himself  wipe  away  all  tears,  and 
give  you  that  fulness  of  joy  which  is  inseparable 
from  his  presence.  But,  remember,  aged  Christian, 
the  promise,  "As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be," 
and  hold  the  beginning  of  your  confidence  steadfast 
unto  the  end.  As  you  think  of  the  evening  of  life, 
the  night  of  death,  and  the  solemnities  of  the  last 
judgment,  resolve  with  the  Psalmist,  "  I  will  go  in 
the  strength  of  the  Lord  God :  I  will  make  mention 
of  thy  righteonsness,  even  of  thine  only."*  So  shall 
you  go  on  from  strength  to  strength,  until  you  appear 
in  Zion  before  your  God.f 

*  Psa.  lxxi.  16.  t  Psa.  lxxxiv.  7. 


ANONYMOUS. 

Taery  with  me,  0  my  Saviour, 

For  the  day  is  passing  by : 
See !  the  shades  of  evening  gather, 

And  the  night  is  drawing  nigh  ! 
Tarry  with  me  !  tarry  with  me  ! 

Pass  me  not  unheeded  by ! 

Many  friends  were  gathered  round  me 
In  the  bright  days  of  the  past ; 

But  the  grave  has  closed  above  them, 
And  I  linger  here  the  last ! 

I  am  lonely;  tarry  with  me 
•Till  the  dreary  night  is  past. 

Dimmed  for  me  is  earthly  beauty ; 

Yet  the  spirit's  eye  would  fain 
Rest  upon  thy  lovely  features  : 

Shall  I  seek,  dear  Lord,  in  vain  ? 
Tarry  with  me,  0  my  Saviour, 

Let  me  see  thy  smile  again  ! 

245 


246  NEARING  HOME. 

Dull  my  ear  to  earth-born  music : 
Speak  thou,  Lord,  in  words  of  cheer : 

Feeble,  tottering  my  footstep, 

Sinks  my  heart  with  sudden  fear ; 

Cast  thine  arms,  dear  Lord,,  around  me, 
Let  me  feel  thy  presence  near. 

Faithful  memory  paints  before  me 
Every  deed  and  thought  of  sin ; 

Open  thou  the  blood-filled  Fountain, 
Cleanse  my  guilty  soul  within : 

Tarry  thou,  forgiving  Saviour ! 
Wash  me  wholly  from  my  sin ! 

Deeper,  deeper  grow  the  shadows, 
Paler,  now,  the  glowing  west ; 

Swift  the  night  of  death  advances ; 
Shall  it  be  the  night  of  rest  ? 

Tarry  with  me,  0  my  Saviour ! 
Lay  my  head  upon  thy  breast ! 

Feeble,  trembling,  fainting,  dying, 
Lord,  I  cast  myself  on  thee : 

Tarry  with  me,  through  the  darkness ! 
While  I  sleep,  still  watch  by  me 

Till  the  morning ;  then  awake  me, 
Dearest  Lord,  to  dwell  with  thee. 


fmtlibcir  Ijtr  Usefulness. 

MRS.    ADELINE     T.     DAVIDSON. 

Not  till  the  dark  waves  of  Jordan 
Shall  close  on  the  steps  that  have  passed, 

Not  till  the  portals  of  heaven 

Shall  welcome  the  ransomed  at  last, — 

Not  till  I  join  in  the  chorus 

That  sounds  o'er  the  "crystal  sea," 
May  I  cease  to  be  striving  and  praying 

That  others  may  enter  with  me. 

We  were  riding  along  very  slowly,  with  the  solemn, 
measured  tread  which  compels  reflection.  She  whose 
dust  we  were  reverently  depositing  in  peaceful  rest 
was  an  aged  Christian.  For  many  years  she  had 
been  foremost  in  every  work  of  love  and  mercy. 
Grenerous,  untiring,  and  self-sacrificing,  she  had 
passed  a  long  life  of  usefulness  in  her  family  and  in 
the  church  that  she  loved.  Years  of  infirmity  and 
helplessness  followed,  and  for  many  weary  months 
those  hands  which  had  ministered  so  cheerfully  unto 
others  could  not  supply  her  own  slightest  need.    And 


then  her  change  came. 


247 


248  NEARING  HOME. 

"  What  a  devoted  Christian  she  was  years  ago !" 
was  remarked ;  "  but  she  has  long  outlived  her  useful- 
ness.    I  have  often  wondered  why  such  old  people 

live.     Such  a  one  as  old  Mrs.  J ,  for  instance — so 

perfectly  helpless.  She  was  prepared  to  die,  we  know, 
and  yet  she  must  have  been  weary  of  so  burdensome 
a  life." 

"Did  she  ever  express  herself  as  being  weary  of 
life?"  I  asked. 

"  Oh  !  no,  she  was  a&  patient  as  a  lamb.  If  I  were 
to  be  ill  a  long  time,  I  should  think  it  was  intended 
to  teach  me  patience.  But  she  did  not  need  such  a 
discipline." 

"  And  her  family  ?" 

"  It  may  have  benefited  them.  Mary  has  waited 
upon  her  grandmother  so  long  that  she  has  grown 
like  her,  and  has  become  a  most  lovely  character,  so 
gentle  and  self-denying." 

"  Did  she  retain  her  eyesight  sufficiently  to  read?" 

"  For  several  years  past  she  has  been  quite  blind. 
As  her  grandchildren  would  come  in,  she  would  ask 
them  to  read  a  single  verse  of  the  Bible,  and  which 
of  the  most  thoughtless  would  refuse  so  small  a  re- 
quest ?  Then  she  would  in  her  quiet  way  make  such 
varied,  such  beautiful  application  of  this  one  text! 
It  was  a  precious  commentary.     I  think  that  they 


OUTLIVED  HER   USEFULNESS.  249 

will  never  forget  some  of  them.     I  know  that  she 
spent  much  of  her  time  in  prayer." 

"  Do  you  suppose  she  is  praying  now  ?" 
"  Certainly   not.     Her  prayers    are    ended.    We 
read  of  praises  in  heaven,  but  of  no  intercessions  ex- 
cept those  of  Christ." 

"  Has  her  family  been  blessed  apparently  ?" 
"  All  her  children  are  in  the  church.  Her  eldest 
son  living  is  our  most  active  elder,  and  just  before 
her  death  she  heard  of  the  conversion  of  two  of  her 
grandsons  at  the  West,  who  had  been  in  situations 
of  peculiar  temptation." 

"  Do  you  think  she  remembered  the  church  ?" 
"  If  you  had  known  her  you  would  not  ask  that. 
Her  church  was  as  dear  unto  her  as  the  apple  of  her 
eye.  She  spent  many  a  long  hour  in  her  sleepless 
nights  in  asking  for  blessings  on  the  church,  when 
the  rest  of  the  congregation  were  sleeping." 

"  Just  now  you  wondered  why  God  in  his  provi- 
dence protracted  the  life  of  aged  Christians  when 
their  days  of  active  usefulness  were  over.  And  yet 
it  seems  evident  that  in  this  case  it  was  the  means 
of  teaching  patience,  gentleness,  a  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  that  in  answer  to  her  prayers  many 
of  her  family  have  been  hopefully  converted.  No 
effectual,  fervent  prayer  of  the  righteous  is  ever  lost. 


250  NEARING  HOME. 

As  this  life  is  the  only  season  for  prayer,  hers  may 
have  been  protracted  for  this  express  purpose.  For 
many  generations,  for  aught  you  or  I  can  tell,  bless- 
ings temporal  and  spiritual  may  be  granted  in  an- 
swer to  the  prayers  of  that  helpless,  bed-ridden 
Christian." 

Said  the  angel  of  the  covenant  unto  one  who  had 
wrestled  with  him  all  night,  "As  a  prince  hast  thou 
power  with  God,  and  hast  prevailed."  Are  there  now 
no  princes  in  prayer  like  him  who  strove  at  Peniel  ? 
Nolle  now  who  wrestle  not  one  night  only,  but 
through  long  years  of  infirmity  and  suffering  it  may 
be,  yet  of  cherished  communion  with  God,  whose 
prayers,  presented  "in  the  golden  vial"  by  an  al- 
mighty Advocate,  are  poured  back  in  priceless  bene- 
dictions ? 

Let  us  try  to  realize  that  not  one  day  of  weariness 
will  be  given  to  the  maturest  saint  that  is  not  neces- 
sary ;  not  one  sigh  breathed  that  has  not  its  errand. 
The  servant  of  Christ  need  never  be  useless,  under 
any  circumstances,  in  any  place,  alone,  on  a  bed  of 
weakness,  shut  out  from  the  world,  deaf  even,  while 
the  heart  can  beat  with  love  to  a  dying  world,  or  con- 
scious thought  rise  to  the  mercy-seat. 

We  should  shine  till  the  last,  and  the  brighter  at 
the  last.     The  nearer  we  draw  to  the  Sun  of  Right- 


OUTLIVED  HEM   USEFULNESS.  251 

eousness,  the  clearer  should  become  our  reflection  of 
his  loveliness  and  glory. 

"Outlived  his  usefulness!"  Never  let  such  a  sen- 
tence be  uttered  by  a  Christian. 

A  lady  was  urging  a  man  in  middle  life  to  enter 
once  more  a  Sabbath-school  where  he  had  formerly 
assisted,  and  where  his  services  were  greatly  needed. 

He  declined.  "  I  have  taught  for  twenty  years  ;  I 
have  served  my  time." 

"  Then  your  experience  will  be  all  the  more  valu- 
able," was  suggested. 

He  persisted  in  refusing,  adding,  conclusively,  that 
"  his  work  was  done." 

The  next  Sabbath  they  met  in  the  vestibule  of  the 
church.     As  he  greeted  her  she  said,  quietly, 

"  I  did  not  expect  to  see  you  here." 

"Ah!  why  not?* 

"You  told  me  the  last  time  I  saw  you  that  your 
work  was  done.  Now  I  always  supposed  that  when 
our  work  was  all  done  the  Master  would  send  for  us. 
So  I  supposed  you  had  gone  to  your  reward." 


M}t  %$yt  oi  t\t  mstomohtc. 

SIR    ROBERT   GRANT. 

When  gathering  clouds  around  I  view, 
And  days  are  dark  and  friends  are  few, 
On  him  I  lean  who,  not  in  vain, 
Experienced  every  human  pain  ; 
He  sees  my  wants,  allays  my  fears, 
And  counts  and  treasures  up  my  tears. 

If  aught  should  tempt  my  soul  to  stray 
From  heavenly  virtue's  narrow  way, 
To  fly  the  good  I  would  pursue, 
Or  do  the  sin  I  would  not  do, — 
Still  he  who  felt  temptation's  power, 
Shall  guard  me  in  that  dangerous  hour. 

When  vexing  thoughts  within  me  rise, 
And  sore  dismayed  my  spirit  dies, 
Yet  he  who  once  vouchsafed  to  bear 
The  sickening  anguish  of  despair 
Shall  sweetly  soothe,  shall  gently  dry, 
The  throbbing  heart,  the  streaming  eye. 

252 


THE  HOPE  OF  THE  DISCONSOLATE.  253 

When  sorrowing  o'er  some  stone  I  bend, 
Which  covers  all  that  was  a  friend, 
And  from  his  voice,  his  hand,  his  smile, 
Divides  me  for  a  little  while, 
Thou,  Saviour,  seest  the  tears  I  shed, 
For  thou  didst  weep  o'er  Lazarus  dead. 

And  oh  when  I  have  safely  passed 
Through  every  conflict  but  the  last, 
Still,  still  unchanging,  watch  beside 
My  painful  bed,  for  thou  hast  died ; 
Then  point  to  realms  of  cloudless  day, 
And  wipe  the  latest  tear  away. 


mux  motnt. 


ALICE    CARY. 


One  sweetly  solemn  thought, 
Comes  to  me  o'er  and  o'er, — 

I'm  nearer  my  home  to-day 
Than  I've  ever  been  before. 

Nearer  my  Father's  house, 

Where  the  many  mansions  be. — 

Nearer  the  great  white  throne, 
Nearer  the  jasper  sea. 

Nearer  the  bound  of  life, 

Where  we  lay  our  burdens  down,- 
Nearer  leaving  the  cross, 

Nearer  wearing  the  crown. 

But,  lying  darkly  between, 

Winding  down  through  the  night, 
To  the  dim  and  unknown  stream, 

That  leads  me  at  last  to  the  light,- 

254 


NEARER    HOME.  255 

Close,  closer  my  steps 

Come  to  the  dark  abysm, — 
Closer  death  to  my  lips 

Presses  the  awful  chrysm. 

Saviour,  perfect  my  trust, 

Strengthen  the  might  of  my  faith ; 
Let  me  feel  as  I  would  when  I  stand 

On  the  rock  of  the  shore  of  death, — 

Feel  as  I  would  when  my  feet 

Are  slipping  over  the  brink ; 
For  it  may  be  I'm  nearer  home, — 

Nearer  now  than  I  think. 


REV.  ROBERT  F.  SAMPLE. 

"At  evening  time  it  shall  be  light."— Zech.  xiv.  7. 
"  Thy  sun  shall  no  more  go  down." — Isa.  lx.  20. 

Shadows  o'er  the  vale  are  creeping, 

And  the  sun  sinks  to  his  rest : 
Twilight  draws  her  curtains  softly, 

Golden  clouds  hang  in  the  west. 
Hushed  the  noise  of  busy  labour, 

Toil  has  sought  its  wonted  rest ; 
Whispering  trees  and  murmuring  streamlets 

Sweetly  soothe  each  troubled  breast. 

Time  is  fleeting,  and  I'm  drawing 

Near  the  sunset  of  my  life ; 
Soon  will  end  my  weary  journey, 

Soon  will  cease  all  toil  and  strife. 
Shadows  o'er  my  path  are  falling, 

Earthly  visions  fade  away, 
Voices  soft  and  sweet  are  telling 

Of  an  endless,  orient  day. 

256 


BEYOND   THE  SUNSET.  257 

O'er  the  misty  mountains  hastens 

One  I've  waited  long  to  see ; 
Soft  as  night-dew  falls  on  meadows, 

His  kind  bidding,  "  Come  to  me." 
Lo !  the  purple  light  of  evening, 

Stealing  gently  up  the  sky, 
Bears  me  on  its  wings  to  meet  him. 

Is  this  death  ?     'Tis  sweet  to  die. 

Jesus  calls  me,  and  I'm  going 

Where  the  shadows  never  come  ; 
Now  the  desert  lies  behind  me, 

And  I  hasten  to  my  home — 
To  my  home  beyond  the  sunset, 

Far  beyond  the  clay's  decline, 
Where  the  glory  is  unfading, 

Where  the  golden  portals  shine. 


:Ije  ftudjunging   Mricnb 


ANONYMOUS. 


The  evening  was  calm  and  pleasant,  enlivened  by 
a  gentie  breeze  and  the  rays  of  the  declining  sun. 
At  the  door  of  a  low  cottage  sat  an  old.  man.  His 
hair  was  white,  his  form  was  bent,  and  his  dim  eyes 
were  fixed  on  the  richly-tinted  clouds.  Was  he  ad- 
miring the  simple  grandeur  of  an  evening  sky  ?  I 
think  not.  His  features  wore  a  sad  and  troubled  ex- 
pression, as  if  his  mind  were  occupied  by  thoughts 
which  had  but  little  connection  with  the  objects 
around  him.  And  so  indeed  it  was.  He  was  think- 
ing of  the  uncertain  and  unsatisfying  nature  of 
earthly  friendship;  he  was  musing  over  a  painful 
proof  which  he  had  that  day  received  of  the  ingrati- 
tude and  unkindness  of  one  whom  he  had  loved  and 
cherished  in  years  gone  by. 

"  It  is  trying,  very  trying,"  he  said,  "  to  be  thus 
deceived  and  injured  by  an  early  friend.  It  is  not 
an  enemy  that  has  clone  this,  but  it  was  my  compan- 
ion and   familiar  friend.     He  was  the  last  person 


258 


THE   UNCHANGING  FRIEND.  259 

from  whom  I  should  have  expected  such  treatment ; 
I  always  reposed  the  most  perfect  confidence  in  him. 
Oh,  what  is  friendship  ?  It  is  like  a  slender  reed, 
which,  when  leaned  upon,  often  pierces  us  through 
with  many  sorrows." 

The  old  man's  feelings  had  been  sadly  wounded, 
and  his  mind  was  much  disturbed.  But,  perhaps, 
just  then  the  serene  aspect  of  nature  soothed  him,  or 
perhaps  bright  memories  of  loved  and  faithful  ones 
reproached  him  for  his  indiscriminate  censure ;  for 
he  added,  in  a  more  cheerful  tone,  "Not  that  all 
friends  prove  false  and  changeable.  Oh  no  !  I  have 
known  and  shared  too  much  of  the  warm  and  un- 
selfish and  continued  affection  of  others  to  believe 
that  friendship  is  nothing  but  a  name.  In  prosperity 
and  in  adversity  I  have  found  that  there  are  true 
friends.  I  have  loved,  and  I  have  been  loved;  I 
have  trusted,  and  I  have  been  confided  in.  Life 
would  indeed  have  been  dreary  without  the  sym- 
pathy and  communion  of  friends — especially  of 
Christian  friends. 

"And  yet,  at  the  best,  earthly  friendships  are 
very  imperfect.  Liable  to  little  mistakes — to  partial 
interruptions ;  or,  if  unvarying  in  their  character, 
incapable  of  entering  into  all  our  feelings,  or  of 
responding  to  all  our  emotions.     And  how  slight  i& 


260  NEARING  HOME. 

the  tenure  by  which  they  are  held !  A  few  weeks>  a 
days,  nay,  a  few  hours,  and  the  most  loved  of  our 
circle  may  be  removed  from  us.  Death  severs  the 
closest  and  the  fondest  ties.  In  yonder  churchyard 
lie  the  remains  of  those  who  were  once  my  dearest 
companions.  Many  gathered  round  me  in  early  life, 
and  set  out  with  me  on  the  pilgrimage  to  the  celestial 
city ;  but  they  have  finished  their  course,  and  now  I 
am  left  alone :  the  grave  has  divided  us — at  least  for 
a  little  while." 

*Ah,  in  the  last  half  of  that  sentence,  there  was  a 
cheering  truth  involved,  and  the  old  man  felt  its 
sweet  influence  steal  over  him. 

"For  a  little  while! — yes,  we  shall  meet  again. 
They  will  not  return  to  me,  but  I  shall  go  to  them. 
I  sorrow  not  as  others  without  hope,  for  I  know  that 
those  who  sleep  in  Jesus  God  will  bring  with  him, 
and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord.  In  this 
world  of  partings,  how  delightful  is  the  assurance  of 
a  speedy  and  lasting  re-union  with  all  those  dear 
friends  who  have  departed  in  the  true  faith  of 
Christ!" 

Like  the  sunshine  bursting  through  a  dark  cloud, 
this  bright  anticipation  almost  dispelled  the  old  man's 
sadness ;  and  it  was  succeeded  by  a  thought  so  full  of 
consolation  and  joy  that  he  speedily  forgot  the  un- 


THE   UNCHANGING  FRIEND.  261 

pleasant  circumstance  which  had  lately  agitated  his 
feelings. 

"  Yet  it  is  still  more  delightful  to  remember  that  I 
have  an  ever-living,  an  almighty  Friend.  The  best 
earthly  friends  may  change  or  die,  but  Jesus  Christ 
is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever.  He  will 
never  leave  me,  he  will  never  forsake  me.  Oh,  why 
should  I  mourn  over  the  loss  or  the  inconstancy  of 
earthly  friends  when  my  kind  and  sympathizing 
Saviour  is  ever  with  me?" 

Reader,  you  cannot  have  advanced  thus  far  in  the 
experience  of  life  without  having  learned,  like  this 
aged  pilgrim,  that  instability  and  uncertainty  are  as- 
sociated with  all  human  affections.  You  have  doubt- 
less mourned  over  those  friends  whom  time  or  cir- 
cumstances, or  death  have  parted  from  you  ;  but 
have  also  rejoiced  in  the  assurance  of  Christ's  per- 
petual and  never-changing  friendship  ?  Ah,  there 
are  many  who  have  been  deceived  and  disappointed 
in  the  trust  which  they  have  reposed  in  their  fellow- 
creatures,  and  who  have  also  never  sought  that  heav- 
enly Friend  with  whom  there  is  no  variableness  nor 
shadow  of  turning;  there  are  many  who  have  hewn 
out  to  themselves  broken  cisterns  which  could  hold 
no  water,  who  have  yet  refused  to  turn,  when  weary 
and  dissatisfied,  to  the  Fountain  of  living  waters. 


262  HEARING   HOME. 

"  0  thou  -who  driest  the  mourner's  tear, 
How  dark  this  world  would  be, 
If,  when  deceived  and  wounded  here, 
We  could  not  fly  to  thee!" 

And  it  is  dark  to  those  who,  in  their  hours  of  sorrow 
and  desertion,  have  no  confidence  in  the  Saviour,  no 
reliance  on  his  love  and  sympathy.  The  heart  that 
has  none  on  earth  or  in  heaven  around  whom  to 
twine  must  indeed  be  a  desolate  and  drooping  heart. 
God  grant  that  it  may  never  be  ours !  ]STor  can  it 
if  *we  are  united  by  a  simple  and  living  faith  to 
Christ,  for  we  are  then  linked  with  those  whom  lie 
graciously  calls  his  "friends  ;"  and  are  assured  that 
we  possess  at  all  times  and  under  every  circumstance 
his  tender  and  unwavering  regard.  How  cheerimr 
and  all-sustaining,  amidst  the  separations,  the  im- 
perfections, and  the  declensions  which  mark  the 
fairest  of  earthly  friendships,  is  the  consciously 
that  we  have  an  unchanging  and  unfailing  Friend, 
who  is  always  ready  to  impart  to  us  his  sympathy 
and  his  succour. 

We  would  not  undervalue  the  preciousness  of 
earthly  love.  It  is  one  of  the  choicest  gifts  which 
Grod  bestows  upon  a  fallen  world.  It  is  a  relic  of 
Paradise  and  a  type  of  heaven.  Yet  still  we  are 
taught  by  experience  how  precarious  is  the  tie  which 


THE   UNCHANGING  FRIEND.  263 

binds  us  to  the  clearest  and  most  loved  friend  It  is 
impossible  to  help  feeling — without  the  least  inclina- 
tion towards  misanthropy — that  our  affections  are 
sometimes  misplaced,  that  our  dependence  is  often 
productive  of  disappointment.  Imperfection  and 
uncertainty  are  stamped  on  all  the  objects  and  rela- 
tionships of  earth  ;  for  "  this  is  not  our  rest ;"  we  are 
destined  for  a  better  country,  the  bright  inhabitants 
of  which  are  linked  in  pure  and  immortal  friendship. 
And  while  we  anticipate  with  gladness  the  period 
which  shall  unite  us  with  that  wholly  and  happy 
brotherhood,  we  will  remember  our  best  Friend — the 
Friend  that  sticketh  closer  than  a  brother — and  fear- 
lessly anchor  our  troubled  and  unsatisfied  hearts  in 
his  deep  and  changeless  love.  That  resting-place  for 
the  affections  never  has  failed — never  can  fail.  The 
circumstances  which  enfeeble,  suspend,  and  terminate 
many  of  the  friendships  which  are  formed  between 
man  and  man,  possess  no  influence  over  the  emotions 
which  the  Saviour  feels  towards  his  chosen  friends, 
and  are  incapable  of  altering  the  position  in  which, 
if  Christians,  we  stand  with  regard  to  Christ. 

For  instance,  it  frequently  happens  that  the  dis- 
tance which  intervenes  between  some  friend  and  our- 
selves diminishes,  and  at  length,  perhaps,  closes  our 
friendship.     He  does  not  intend,  when  separated,  to 


264  NEARIXG  HOME. 

forget  us,  but  absence  gradually  lessens  the  strength 
of  his  attachment ;  his  correspondence  almost  imper- 
ceptibly declines,  or,  through  unavoidable  circum- 
stances, is  hastily  ended;  and  as  time  rolls  on,  he 
grows  more  and  more  indifferent  towards  us.  Had 
he  always  remained  near  us,  and  continued  the  per- 
sonal intercourse  which  once  subsisted  between  us, 
he  might  not  have  changed ;  but  in  his  removal  he 
verifies  the  truth  of  the  old  adage,  "  Out  of  sight,  out 
of  mind."  Our  aged  readers  can  doubtless  confirm 
by-  their  own  experience  the  truth  of  this  statement. 
They  can  recall  to  mind  some,  it  may  be  several,  of 
their  early  acquaintances  thus  geographically  divided 
from  them,  who  have  for  many  years  been  as  strangers 
to  them. 

But  the  Saviour,  although  personally  absent  from 
his  people,  never  for  one  moment  forgets  them. 
From  the  time  when  he  departed  from  his  disciples 
at  Bethany,  where  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their 
sight,  he  gave  them  the  most  indisputable  and  unin- 
terrupted proofs  of  his  unchanged  affection.  He  as- 
cended then  as  a  triumphant  conqueror  to  heaven, 
and  was  enthroned  at  the  right  hand  of  God ;  but 
the  glory  which  as  the  Mediator  was  bestowed  upon 
him  could  not  intercept  from  his  view  the  few  poor 
fishermen  of  Galilee;  nor  could  the  songs  of  angelic 


THE  UNCHANGING  FRIEND.  265 

adoration  which  he  received  hush  the  earnest  sup- 
plications that  rose  from  that  little  band  who  were 
assembled  in  an  upper  chamber  at  Jerusalem.  No ; 
his  love  was  the  same  in  heaven  as  it  had  been  on 
earth ;  and  the  rich  and  abundant  gifts  wrhich  were 
poured  forth  upon  his  faithful  disciples  were  the  im- 
mediate results  of  his  exaltation  and  intercession. 
He  consoled  and  guided  them  by  his  Spirit,  and 
strengthened  them  for  the  avowal  and  defence  of  his 
truth.  In  his  remonstrance  with  the  persecuting 
Saul  he  distinctly  identified  himself  with  his  people, 
estimating  the  injuries  done  to  them  as  if  inflicted 
upon  himself:  "Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou 
me  ?"*  And  he  manifested  the  deep  interest  in  their 
welfare  by  his  gracious  appearance  to  the  apostle  of 
the  Gentiles,  when  he  bade  him  "Be  of  good  cheer," 
and  prepared  him  to  advocate  the  cause  of  his 
Saviour  in  Rome. 

But  it  is  unnecessary  to  multiply  proofs,  either 
from  the  early  or  subsequent  history  of  the  Church, 
of  the  unvarying  character  of  that  regard  which 
the  ascended  Redeemer  cherishes  for  all  those  who 
through  grace  have  accepted  his  gracious  overtures 
of  friendship.  We  need  only  appeal  to  yourselves, 
dear  readers,  as  witnesses  to  the  cheering  fact  that 

*  Acts  ix.  4. 
34 


266  BEAMING  HOME. 

the  love  of  Christ — that  love  which  passeth  know- 
ledge— is  unaffected  by  the  withdrawal  of  his  per- 
sonal presence  from  amongst  us.  His  continued 
intercessions  on  our  behalf,  his  rich  impartation  to 
us  of  all  needful  grace,  and  his  preparation  of  a 
place  for  us  in  his  Father's  house,  are  sure  evidences 
of  his  perpetual  and  affectionate  remembrance. 

Again,  one  of  the  causes  which  render  human 
friendship  so  variable  is  alteration  in  worldly  cir- 
cumstances. When  competency  is  exchanged  for 
poverty ;  when,  in  the  expressive  language  of  Scrip- 
ture, we  are  "  made  low,"  what  a  change  passes  over 
the  little  world  in  which  we  dwell !  That  friendship 
is  indeed  true  and  valuable  which  will  stand  such  a 
testing-time ;  for  while  many  gather  round  us  in 
prosperity,  few  cleave  to  us  in  adversity. 

"  The  friends  who  in  our  sunshine  live, 
When  winter  comes  are  flown." 

It  is  a  bitter  trial  to  find  ourselves  neglected  and 
forsaken  when  we  are  most  in  need  of  support  and 
comfort ;  but  it  is  a  sanctified  trial  if  it  teaches  us 
that  it  is  better  to  trust  in  the  Lord  than  to  put  con- 
fidence in  man;  if  it  endears  to  us  that  heavenly 
Friend,  who,  though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  our  sakes 
became  poor,  that  we  through  his  poverty  might  be 


THE   UNCHANGING  FRIEND.  267 

made  rich.  Lowly  indeed  was  his  lot  on  earth ;  he 
had  not  where  to  lay  his  head;  and  his  chosen  friends 
and  associates  were  from  the  humblest  ranks  of  so- 
ciety. It  was  to  "the  poor"  that  he  especially  pro- 
claimed the  blessings  of  his  gospel ;  and  the  sarcastic 
designation  of  his  opponents,  which  styled  him  "  a 
friend  of  publicans  and  sinners,"  was,  in  reality, 
beautifully  expressive  of  his  true  character. 

By  his  own  position  in  the  world,  by  his  mingling 
chiefly  with  those  who  were  poor  and  despised  of 
men,  and  by  the  low  and  obscure  situations  in  which 
the  majority  of  his  disciples  have  served  him,  poverty 
has  been  elevated  and  dignified.  Not  many  noble, 
not  many  mighty,  does  the  Saviour  call;  but  he 
chooses  the  poor  in  this  world,  and  makes  them  heirs 
of  that  glorious  kingdom  which  he  has  promised  to 
them  that  love  him. 

The  wealthy  and  the  fashionable  may  grow  cold 
and  distant  when  penury  and  distress  enter  our 
home ;  but  Christ  makes  our  season  of  affliction  only 
the  means  of  drawing  us  more  closely  to  himself. 
Our  loss  of  property  or  income,  instead  of  raising  a 
barrier  between  him  and  us,  links  us  more  firmly 
together.  He  soothes  our  spirit,  sympathizes  with 
our  grief,  and  promises  that  he  will  never  forsake  us. 

Or  it  is  possible  that  the  natural  infirmities  of  age 


268  NEARINQ  HOME. 

and  a  long-declining  state  of  health  may  gradually 
narrow  the  circle  of  our  friends.  Deafness,  or  blind- 
ness, or  sickness  makes  our  society  less  attractive 
than  formerly.  It  is  wearisome,  perhaps,  to  sit  be- 
side us  day  after  day  and  strive  to  interest  us  ;  and, 
therefore,  some  who  were  once  warm  and  even  sin- 
cere in  their  professions  of  attachment  to  us,  grow 
tired  of  the  society  of  an  aged  invalid,  and  their 
visits  become  few  and  far  between.  We  feel  some- 
times, when  contrasting  the  present  with  the  past, 
that  we  are  forsaken  and  alone  in  the  world,  that  we 
are  a  burden  to  ourselves  and  to  others.  Old  age 
brings  with  it  a  sensitiveness  on  this  point  which 
occasions  much  mental  disquietude,  and  frequently 
produces  a  fretful  and  repining  spirit. 

Let  us  endeavour,  in  moments  of  loneliness  and 
depression,  to  tranquilize  and  divert  our  thoughts 
by  dwelling  upon  the  steadfastness  of  Christ  towards 
us.  He  does  not  cast  us  off  in  the  time  of  old  age 
nor  forsake  us  when  our  strength  fails;  he  is  not 
weary  of  listening  to  the  oft-repeated  narrative  of 
our  wants  and  ailments,  nor  reluctant  to  cheer  the 
solitude  of  life's  evening;  but  he  beautifully  fulfils  to 
us  his  own  promise,  "Even  to  hoar  hairs  will  I  cany 
you."  As  we  walk  with  trembling  steps  through 
the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  as  we  miss  from 


THE   UNCHANGING  FRIEND.  269 

our  side  the  friend  on  whose  arm  we  might  have 
leaned  for  support  and  protection  ;  the  Saviour  bids 
us  fear  no  evil,  because  he  is  with  us ;  Ms  rod  and  Ms 
staff  will  comfort  us ;  and  Ms  presence  shall  perpetu- 
ally abide  with  us.  Our  weakness  and  our  infirmity 
may  tend  to  loosen  some  of  our  earthly  ties,  but  can- 
not diminish  his  kind  sympathy  with  us.  Friends 
may  fail  us,  but  he  will  never  leave  us. 

And  even  should  our  friends  prove  faithful,  should 
they  retain  in  old  age  the  affection  which  they  man- 
ifested towards  us  in  youth,  yet  how  suddenly  and 
irrevocably  may  they  be  parted  from  us  by  death ! 
"  Our  days  on  the  earth  are  as  a  shadow,  and  there 
is  none  abiding."  The  dearest  ones  around  whom 
our  affections  are  so  firmly  entwined  may  soon  be 
summoned  into  the  presence  of  their  Maker,  and 
leave  us  to  tread  alone  the  remainder  of  our  length- 
ened journey.  We  may  have  to  see  the  grave  opened 
for  those  whose  hands  we  imagined  would  tenderly 
close  our  eyes  at  the  last.  Stay !  have  we  not  already 
seen  this?  have  not  the  separations  of  the  tomb  been 
painfully  realized  in  our  past  history  ?  The  green 
hillock,  the  marble  tablet,  are  they  not  cherished  me- 
morials of  the  departed,  who  still  live  in  our  hearts 
and  are  enshrined  in  our  recollections  ?  More  elo- 
quent than  the  preacher's  words,  more  powerful  than 


270  NEABING  HOME. 

the  written  admonition,  are  the  vacant  seats  in  our 
households — yes,  and  at  our  firesides.  Ah!  the  stern 
precept,  "  Cease  ye  from  man,  whose  breath  is  in  his 
nostrils ;  for  wherein  is  he  to  be  accounted  of  ?"*  has 
received  frequent  and  practical  illustration  in  the 
events  of  bygone  days.  The  tolling  bell  has  mourn- 
fully reminded  us  that  change  and  decay  are  stamped 
upon  all  the  things  of  earth;  the  cypress  tree  has 
darkly  shadowed  forth  the  solemn  truth  that  "  In 
the  midst  of  life  we  are  in  death. "f  Well,  be  it  so  ; 
we*  will  not  murmur  that  God  gathers  the  ripest  fruit 
and  the  choicest  flowers  from  our  gardens,  since  he 
gives  us  himself  as  our  portion.  We  will  not  forget, 
as  we  sorrow  over  the  dead,  that  "  the  Lord  liveth !" 
While  thinking  of  the  friends  whom  the  last  enemy 
has  snatched  from  our  grasp,  we  will  gratefully  re- 
member that  Saviour  from  whom  neither  death  nor 
the  grave  can  part  us.  Around  our  desolated 
hearths,  and  in  our  solitary  eventide,  his  voice  is 
heard  sweetly  saying  unto  us,  "Fear  not;  for  I  am 
with  thee!" J 

Yes,  Lord,  thou  art  with  us,  our  firm,  our  change- 
less, our  undying  Friend  !  "  Thou  art  the  same,  and 
thy  years  shall  have  no  end."§     Death  cannot  divide 

*  Isa.  ii.  22.  t  Prayer  Book, 

t  Isa.  xliii.  5.  I  Psa.  cii.  27. 


THE   UNCHANGING  FRIEND.  271 

thee  from  thy  people,  for  that  vanquished  foe  hath  no 
power  over  its  almighty  Conqueror ;  and  it  cannot 
separate  them  from  their  Saviour,  for  its  touch  will 
only  usher  them  into  his  immediate  and  visible  pre- 
sence. 

"  There  is  no  death  ;  what  seems  so,  is  transition." 

Oh,  we  are  "persuaded  that  neither  death,  nor 
life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor 
things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor 
depth,  nor  any  other  creature,  shall  be  able  to  sepa- 
rate us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord."* 

Then  let  us  comfort  one  another  with  this  thought. 
Let  the  recollection  of  our  indissoluble  union  with 
Christ,  and  of  his  eternal  and  unchanging  affection 
for  us,  solace  and  refresh  our  spirits.  "  Having  loved 
his  own  which  were  in  the  world,  he  loved  them  unto 
the  end."f  Yes,  neither  external  circumstances,  nor 
the  decay  of  nature,  nor  even  continual  infirmity  and 
sinfulness,  can  alienate  the  heart  of  the  Saviour  from 
those  whom  lie  has  chosen,  and  called,  and  blessed. 
Heaven  and  earth  may  pass  away,  but  his  word — 
that  word  which  assures  us  of  the  freeness  and  per- 
petuity of  his  love — abideth  for  ever. 

Aged  Christian !  dwell  much  on  the  character  and 

*  Rom.  viii.  38,  39.  f  John  xiii.  1. 


272  NEABINQ  HOME. 

conduct  of  this  mighty  and  faithful  Friend :  "  Cast 
ing  all  your  care  upon  him ;  for  he  careth  for  you."* 
As  life  declines,  let  his  preciousness  increase ;  as  the 
associations  of  earth  gradually  lessen,  cling  more 
closely  and  confidingly  to  him.  Think  of  him  as 
preparing  a  place  for  you  in  the  heavenly  mansions, 
and  as  coming  to  receive  you  unto  himself,  that  where 
he  is  there  you  may  be  also.  And  if,  while  now  you 
see  him  not,  you  can  rejoice  in  him  with  joy  that  is 
unspeakable  and  full  of  glory,  what  will  be  the  rap- 
ture of  your  emancipated  spirit  when  you  are  ad- 
mitted to  full  and  uninterrupted  communion  with 
him  !  If  now,  while  you  only  behold  him  as  through 
a  glass  darkly,  he  is  in  your  apprehension  the  fairest 
among  ten  thousand  and  the  altogether  lovely,  how 
will  your  admiration  be  increased  when  you  behold 
him  face  to  face !  If  now,  while  you  know  him  but 
in  part,  your  acquaintance  with  him  is  the  source  of 
purest  and  inexpressible  pleasure,  who  shall  estimate 
the  happiness  and  the  delight  which  shall  result  from 
your  knowing  even  as  you  are  known  ? 

*  1  Peter  v.  7. 


PAUL    GERHARDT. 

I  best  upon  the  ground 

Of  Jesus  and  his  blood, 
For  'tis  through  him  that  I  have  found 

The  true  Eternal  good. 

Naught  have  I  of  my  own, 

Naught  in  the  life  I  lead ; 
What  Christ  hath  given  me,  that  alone 

Is  worth  all  love  indeed. 

His  Spirit  in  me  dwells, 
O'er  all  my  mind  he  reigns, 

All  care  and  sadness  he  dispels, 
And  soothes  away  all  pains. 
He  prospers  day  by  day 
His  work  within  my  heart, 

Till  I  have  strength  and  faith  to  say, 
Thou,  God,  my  Father  art ! 

When  weakness  on  me  lies 
And  tempts  me  to  despair, 


35 


273 


274  NEARING  HOME. 

He  speaketh  words  and  utters  sighs 
Of  more  than  mortal  prayer ; 
But  what  no  tongue  can  tell, 
Thou,  God,  canst  hear  and  see, 

Who  readest  in  the  heart  full  well 
If  aught  there  pleaseth  thee. 

He  whispers  in  my  breast 

Sweet  words  of  holy  cheer, 
How  he  who  seeks  in  God  his  rest 

Shall  ever  find  him  near ; 

How  God  hath  built  above 

A  city  fair  and  new, 
Where  eye  and  heart  shall  see  and  prove 

What  faith  has  counted  true. 

There  is  prepared  on  high 

My  heritage,  my  lot ; 
Though  here  on  earth  I  fall  and  die, 

My  heaven  shall  fail  me  not. 

Though  here  my  days  are  dark, 

And  oft  my  tears  must  rain, 
Whene'er  my  Saviour's  light  I  mark, 

All  things  grow  bright  again. 

My  heart  for  gladness  springs, 
It  cannot  more  be  sad, 


THE  SYMPATHY  OF  JESUS.  275 

For  every  joy  it  laughs  and  sings, 

Sees  naught  but  sunshine  glad. 

The  sun  that  glads  mine  eyes 

Is  Christ  the  Lord  I  love; 
I  sing  for  joy  of  that  which  lies 

Stored  up  for  us  above. 


Me  Mrienir  fflimttn. 

CHARLOTTE    ELLIOT. 

0  Holy  Saviour,  Friend  unseen, 

The  faint,  the  weak  on  thee  may  lean ; 
Help  me,  throughout  life's  varying  scene, 
By  faith  to  cling  to  thee ! 

Blest  with  communion  so  divine, 

Take  what  thou  wilt ;  shall  I  repine, 
When,  as  the  branches  to  the  vine, 
My  soul  may  cling  to  thee  ? 

Far  from  her  home,  fatigued,  opprest, 
Here  she  has  found  a  place  of  rest— 
An  exile  still,  yet  not  unblest 

While  she  can  cling  to  thee ! 

Without  a  murmur  I  dismiss 

My  former  dreams  of  earthly  bliss ; 
My  joy,  my  recompense  be  this, 


Each  hour  to  cling  to  thee ! 


276 


THE  FRIEND    UNSEEN.  277 

What  though  the  world  deceitful  prove, 
And  earthly  friends  and  joys  remove, 
With  patient,  uncomplaining  love, 
Still  would  I  cling  to  thee ! 

Oft  when  I  seem  to  tread  alone 

Some  barren  waste  with  thorns  o'ergrown, 
A  voice  of  love,  in  gentlest  tone, 

Whispers,  "  Still  cling  to  me." 

Though  faith  and  hope  a  while  be  tried, 

I  ask  not,  need  not,  aught  beside ; 
How  safe,  how  calm,  how  satisfied, 
The  soul  that  clings  to  thee ! 

They  fear  not  life's  rough  storms  to  brave, 
Since  thou  art  near,  and  strong  to  save ; 
Nor  shudder  e'en  at  death's  dark  wave, 
Because  they  cling  to  thee ! 

Blest  is  my  lot,  whate'er  befall ; 

What  can  disturb  me,  who  appal, 
While  as  my  Strength,  my  Rock,  my  All, 
Saviour,  I  cling  to  thee  ? 


Ifltttlj  Jknetoeir  *n  <SSC« 


JAMES    W.   ALEXANDER,   D.  D. 


Cheistian  confidence  and  hope  in  God  give  fresh- 
ness, strength  and  joy,  even  in  the  period  of  old  age. 
"  They  that  wait  on  Jehovah,"  or,  in  modern  English, 
they  that  wait  for  him,  who  evince  their  trust  in  his 
goodness  and  power  by  patiently  awaiting  the  fulfil- 
ment of  his  promises — they,  though  no  longer  young, 
"  shall  renew  their  strength ;  they  shall  mount  up  on 
wings  like  eagles,  they  shall  run  and  not  be  weary, 
and  they  shall  walk  and  not  faint."  The  same 
thought  is  in  the  thanksgiving  of  the  one  hundred 
and  third  Psalm,  v.  5  :  "  Bless  Jehovah,  0  my  soul, 
who  satisfieth  thy  mouth  with  good  things,  so  that 
thy  youth  is  renewed  like  the  eagle's."  From  both 
we  may  conclusively  gather  that  divine  grace  has 
influences  to  bestow  which  can  counteract  and  often 
annul  the  debilitating  tendencies  of  old  age.  We 
are  not  authorized,  it  is  true,  to  teach  that  any  degree 
of  religious  affection  can  turn  back  the  shadow  on 
the  dial-plate,  restore  its  auburn  beauty  to  the  gray 


27S 


YOUTH  RENEWED  IN  AGE.  279 

head,  or  neutralize  the  physical  causes  of  distress ; 
though  even  here,  such  is  the  power  of  spirit  over 
matter,  that  history  shows  marvels  of  an  almost 
youthful  gladness  in  blessed  Christian  old  age.  But 
we  may  and  can  assert  that  he  whose  habits  have 
been  formed  in  a  perpetual  waiting  upon  God,  re- 
ceives a  hallowed  unction  of  grace,  which,  so  to 
speak,  makes  him  young  again,  or,  more  properly, 
keeps  him  from  waxing  old  within.  In  the  most 
rapid  survey  we  have  considered  some  of  the  causes 
which  make  this  season  of  life  formidable.  .All  ages 
have  observed  them  ;  all  philosophies  have  sought  to 
destroy  or  lessen  their  force.  The  most  accomplished 
of  all  Roman  authors  has  left  nothing  more  finished 
than  his  celebrated  tract  on  Old  Age.  Short  of  the 
meridian  beam  of  revelation  and  its  reflections,  no- 
thing ever  showed  more  nobly ;  yet  the  ray  of  its 
consolations  is  but  a  beautiful  moonlight.  In  vain 
is  the  venerable  Cato  introduced  to  teach  us  secrets 
which  Cato  never  knew.  In  this  gem-like  treatise 
Cicero  refers  the  troubles  of  age  to  four  classes.  Old 
age,  so  he  tells  us,  is  feared  because  (1)  it  withdraws 
from  the  affairs  of  life ;  because  (2)  it  brings  infirm- 
ity of  body ;  because  (3)  it  abridges  or  ends  our 
pleasures;  and  (4)  because  it  leads  to  death.  Already, 
in  treating  of  these  several  heads,  much  is  said  truly, 


280  NEARING  HOME. 

ably,  and  to  a  certain  extent  satisfactorily,  on  the 
first  and  third  topics;  but  on  the  last  there  is  nothing 
but  melancholy  conjecture.  Even  in  regard  to  the 
other  heads,  of  business,  health  and  pleasure,  the 
suggestions  are  infinitely  below  those  known  by  the 
humblest  Christian  rustic.  For  what  did  this  great 
and  eloquent  Roman  know  of  the  oil  which  grace 
pours  into  the  sinking  and  almost  expiring  lamp  ? 

It  is  not  to  be  denied,  when  we  come  with  candour 
to  the  investigation,  that,  as  a  general  truth,  old  age 
withdraws  men  from  the  employments  of  life,  and 
seals  up  the  active  business  years.  In  the  majority 
of  instances,  however,  this  retreat  from  labour  is 
voluntarily  sought  long  before  the  access  of  grave 
infirmity.  Indeed,  in  prosperous  communities  many 
retire  too  early,  under  a  chimerical  hope  of  enjoying 
an  elegant  repose,  for  which  they  have  made  no  pro- 
vision by  mental  culture  and  discipline  of  moral 
habits.  There  is,  it  is  true,  another  sort  of  recession 
from  productive  labours  which  we  occasionally  ob- 
serve in  old  men,  and  which  arises  wholly  from  an 
unchastened  selfishness.  Let  any  one  grow  wealthy 
without  the  warming  and  expanding  influences  of 
benevolence,  and  he  will  more  and  more  lose  his  in- 
terest in  all  that  is  going  on  in  the  world.  Even 
wars  and  revolutions  touch  him  only  in  their  finan- 


YOUTH  RENEWED  IN  AGE.  281 

cial  aspects,  and  the  daily  journal  is  to  him  not  so 
much  a  courier  of  news  as  a  barometer  of  loss  and 
gain.  Without  religion,  the  circle  becomes  more 
contracted.  Friends  have  departed  by  scores,  if  not 
by  hundreds.  What  cares  he  for  mighty  movements 
in  behalf  of  humanity  and  holiness  around  him  ? 
What  cares  he  for  posterity,  the  country  or  the  world, 
so  that  he  can  exalt  his  own  gate,  or  die  worth  some 
round  sum  which  floats  before  him  as  his  heaven  ? 
In  the  same  degree  he  wraps  himself  in  his  mantle, 
which  is  daily  shrinking  to  his  own  poor  dimensions. 
This  is  misery  indeed.  Take  away  the  blessed  sun, 
and  everything  becomes  wintry,  frozen,  all  but  dead: 
take  away  more  blessed  love,  and  the  heart  is  dumb, 
cheerless,  insulated,  meanly  poor,  so  that  the  Latins 
named  such  a  one  Miser.  Let  us  leave  him,  shiver- 
ing in  his  cave,  overhung  with  icicles,  and  come  out 
into  the  evening  sunshine  to  consider  the  aged  be- 
liever. He  is,  like  Mnason,  "  an  old  disciple."  He 
still  learns.  The  Greek  story  tells  us  that  when 
Solon  lay  dying,'  and  overheard  some  conversation 
on  philosophy  in  his  apartment,  he  raised  his  head 
and  said,  "  Let  me  share  in  your  conversation,  for 
though  I  am  dying  I  would  still  be  learning. "  Ten 
thousand  times  has  this  been  more  reasonably  ex- 
emplified in  dying  Christians,  who  consider  the  whole 

36 


282  NEARING  HOME. 

of  this  life  as  but  the  lowest  form  of  the  school  into 
which  they  have  been  entered.     And  in  regard  to 
activity,  while  modes  of  service  must  vary  with  the 
bodily  condition,  we  are  bold  to  maintain  that  innu- 
merable Christians  now  living  are,  in  advanced  life, 
impressing  the  whole  engine  of  human  affairs  with 
as  momentous  a  touch  as  at  any  previous  stage  of 
existence.     If  there  is  wisdom,  the  proper  jewel  of 
age  and  divine  grace  in  its  manifold  actings,  there 
neepl  be  no  lack  of  influence.     They  still  lift  up  the 
eagle  pinion,  and  soar  in  such  greatness  as  belongs 
to  their  nature.     But  the  point  to  which  we  would 
ask  more  marked  attention  is  this,  that  the  aged  be- 
liever, so  far  from  being  selfishly  dead  to  what  is 
going  on  in  the  world,  is  more  vigilant  and  more  in 
sympathy  with  all  than  even  in  his  days  of  youth. 
Blessed  be  God,  we  have  seen  this  again  and  again. 
The  man  who  waits  on  God,  the  man  of  faith  and 
hope,  the  man  of  melting  benevolence,  looks  through 
the  loopholes  of  retreat  upon  a  world  whose  vast  and 
often  terrific  revolutions  interest  him  chiefly  as  in- 
cluded in  a  cycle  of  providential  arrangements  calcu- 
lated to  develop  and  exhibit  the  glory  of  grace.    His 
heart  beats  responsive  to  these.    The  news  of  Christ's 
kingdom  is  as  dear  to  him  as  when  he  was  vehe- 
mently active  in  the  field.     He  looks  down  the  ages 


YOUTH  .RENEWED  IN  AGE.  283 

by  the  lamp  of  prophecy,  and  beholds  events  which 
will  take  place  when  he  shall  have  been  long  in  Para- 
dise. This  connects  him  with  the  cause  of  Christ  on 
earth,  and  redeems  him  from  that  miserable,  dungeon- 
like seclusion  of  soul  which  wastes  away  the  aged 
worldling.  So  far  is  it  from  being  true  that  these 
portraitures  are  figments  of  religious  imagination, 
that  we  have  been  led  to  the  choice  of  the  subject  by 
knowledge  and  recollection  of  this  very  paradox  in 
actual  example,  to  wit :  extreme  old  age  made  light, 
strong  and  happy  by  community  of  interest  in  the 
progressive  triumphs  of  philanthropy  and  missions. 
When,  according  to  the  Talmudic  fable,  the  eagle 
soars  toward  the  sun,  he  renews  the  plumage  of  his 
former  days.  As  the  serene  disciple  withdraws  him- 
self from  any  personal  agency  in  the  entangling 
plans  of  life,  he  studies  more  profoundly  what  his 
Master  is  weaving  into  the  web  of  history.  No  longer 
young,  he  has  a  heart  which  gushes  in  sympathy 
with  the  young,  and  he  cheers  them  on.  He  places 
the  weapons  in  their  hands.  He  takes  from  the  wall 
his  sword,  shield  and  helmet,  and  rejoices  that  God 
still  has  younger  soldiers  in  the  field.  He  lives  his 
life  over  again  in  their  achievements,  and  pictures  to 
himself  more  signal  victories  after  he  shall  have 
gone.     Like  the  wounded  hero  Wolfe,  he  could  even 


284  NEAEING  HOME. 

die  more  happy  if  the  shout  of  victory  should  arouse 
his  failing  perception.  Far  from  being  shut  up  in 
morose,  neglectful  selfishness,  he  glories  that  God's 
cause  still  lives  and  must  prevail. 


J0f0ttrnm0  as  at  an  Mwx. 


A.   D.   F.   RANDOLPH. 


I  look  abroad  upon  the  verdant  fields, 

The  song  of  birds  is  on  the  summer  air ; 
Within,  how  many  a  treasure  something  yields 
To  bless  my  life  and  round  the  edge  of  care ; 
And  yet  the  earth  and  air, 
All  that  seems  good  and  fair, 
That  still  is  mine  or  for  a  time  hath  been, 
Now  teach  me  I  am  but  a  pilgrim  here, 
Without  a  home,  and  dwelling  at  an  inn. 

Not  always  has  the  outlook  been  so  clear ; 

There  have  been   days  when  stormy  gusts  went 

by; 

Nights  when  my  wearied  heart  was  full  of  fear, 
And  God  seemed  farther  off  than  stars  and  sky ; 
Yet  then,  when  grief  was  nigh, 
My  soul  could  sometimes  cry, 

285 


286  REARING  HOME. 

Out  of  the  depths  of  sorrow  and  of  sin, 
That  at  the  worst  I  was  but  pilgrim  here, 

With  home  beyond,  while  dwelling  at  an  inn. 

Now  I  complain  not  of  this  life  of  mine, 

I  less  of  shade  have  had  than  of  the  sun ; 
The  gracious  Father,  with  a  hand  divine, 

Has  crowned  with  mercies  his  unworthy  one; 
My  cup  has  overrun, 
And  I,  his  will  undone, 
Have  changed  his  countless  blessings  into  sin ; 
As  I  forgot  I  was  but  pilgrim  here, 

Homeless  at  best,  and  dwelling  at  an  inn. 

Look  on  me,  Lord !    Have  I  not  need  to  pray 

That  this  fair  world,  that  gives  so  much  to  me, 
Serve  not  to  lead  my  steps  so  far  astray 
That  at  the  end  I  stand  afar  from  thee  ? 
Dear  Lord,  let  this  not  be ; 
Nay,  rather  let  me  see 
Beyond  this  life  my  happiest  days  begin ; 
And  singing  on  my  way,  a  pilgrim  here, 
Rejoice  that  I  am  dwelling  at  an  inn. 

Dear  Son  of  God !  by  whom  the  world  was  made, 
Yet  homeless,  had  not  where  to  lay  thy  head, 


SOJOURNING  AS  AT  AN  INN.  287 

(Not  e'en  by  kindred  was  thy  body  laid 
In  Joseph's  tomb,  thou  Lord  of  quick  and  dead !) 
By  thy  example  led, 
Of  me  may  it  be  said, 
When  I  shall  rest  and  perfect  peace  begin, 
He  lived  as  one  who  was  a  pilgrim  here, 

And  found  his  home  while  dwelling  at  an  inn. 


o  nu  §)Iir  Disriple, 


WILLIAM  S.   PLUMER,   D.   D. 


My  heart  is  drawn  towards  you.  I  too  am  going 
down  the  hill  of  life,  and  the  longer  I  live  the  more 
sympathy  do  I  feel  with  the  aged.  I  have  no  longer 
the  sprightliness  of  youth.  In  common  with  you  I 
know  the  sorrow  caused  by  the  failure  of  hopes.  A 
light  heart  carries  the  young  swiftly  along,  but  in  us, 
who  have  passed  the  middle  of  life,  the  spirit  is  at 
least  chastened,  if  not  somewhat  broken.  Once  past 
middle  life,  we  seldom  forget  our  griefs  as  in  youth. 
Indeed,  the  memory  of  some  sorrows  never  grows 
dim.  Twenty  years  after  his  child  is  thought  to  be 
dead,  Jacob  cries  out,  "  Joseph  is  not,"  as  if  he  had 
been  missing  but  a  day  or  a  week.  We  too  have 
lost  friend  after  friend,  not  only  by  death,  but  by 
alienation.  Very  few  of  the  friends  of  our  childhood 
live  to  love  us.  One  said:  "  I  walk  the  streets,  I  go 
to  the  assemblies  of  my  brethren,  but  I  find  none 
who  began  life  with  me.     I  stand  alone  like  a  with- 


288 


TO  AN  OLD  IISCIPLE.  289 

ered  tree,  where  once  was  a  forest  clothed  with  ver- 
dure." We  may  have  our  descendants  around  us, 
and  "  children's  children  are  the  crown  of  old  men." 
But  sometimes  children  give  as  much  pain  as  pleas- 
ure. Or  God  may  have  written  us  childless.  If  so, 
how  sad  are  our  homes  !  Or  greedy  heirs  may  be 
indecently  hovering  around  to  pounce  upon  our  pelf 
as  soon  as  we  are  gone.  Nor  care  they  how  soon  we 
are  called  away.  How  many  of  us,  too,  are  cut  off 
(sometimes  by  our  own  fault)  from  useful  employ- 
ment! We  lack  occupation.  The  mind,  not  being- 
drawn  out  in  healthy  action,  preys  upon  itself.  Our 
latter  years  are  often  spent  in  melancholy  useless- 
ness.  Our  senses  are  often  blunted  as  we  grow  old. 
Sweet  sounds  and  sweet  odours  and  delicious  flavours 
cannot  now  regale  us  as  in  our  younger  clays.  To  us 
the  blue  sky  is  no  longer  blue,  and  the  green  moun- 
tains are  no  longer  green,  and  the  voice  of  birds  is 
no  longer  music.  Great  changes  have  come  on. 
Times,  manners,  fashions,  customs,  habits,  opinions, 
have  all  changed,  nor  have  we  changed  with  them. 
The  world  often  seems  to  us  to  be  moving  too  fast  or 
too  slowly,  and  we  cry  out,  "What  are  we  coming 
to?" 

One  who  had  long  served  God  and  his  generations, 
seeing  how  things  were  going,  thus  wrote  : 

37 


290  NEARING  HOME. 

i:  Prophet  of  ills,  why  should  I  live, 
Or  by  my  sad  forebodings  grieve 

Whom  I  can  serve  DO  more? 
I  only  can  their  loss  bewail, 
Till  life's  exhausted  sorrows  fail, 

And  the  last  pang  is  o'er." 

The  pious  aged  have  no  deeper  sorrows  than  those 
which  spring  from  the  memory  of  their  sins.  Job 
said,  "  Thou  makest  me  to  possess  the  iniquities  of 
my  youth."  David  cried:  "Remember  not  against 
me  the  sins  of  my  youth."  The  late  Dr.  Moses  Hoge, 
of  blessed  memory,  said:  "  I  feel  great  need  of  offer- 
ing the  prayer  of  the  old  bishop,  who  said,  '  0  God, 
pardon  my  sins  of  omission.'  '  He  who  in  old  age 
feels  no  need  of  sorrow  for  past  sins  is  no  child  of 
God.  JN  or  can  we  fail  to  see  that  our  time  on  earth 
is  short.  A  few  more  days  and  our  career  will  be 
run.  We  must  bid  farewell  to  all  we  have  ever 
known ;  we  must  go  to  an  untried  eternity,  and  un- 
dergo the  scrutiny  of  God.  Each  of  us,  too,  has  sor- 
rows unknown  to  men,  and,  so  far  as  we  know,  pecu- 
liar to  ourselves.  We  have  not  breathed  them  to 
any  mortal,  and  perhaps  we  never  shall,  but  the 
heart  knoweth  its  own  bitterness. 

Yet  all  is  not  sad  in  our  state.  We  have  memories 
of  joys,  of  mercies,  and  of  friends,  which,  though 
tinged  with  a  brown  shade,  are  dear  to  our  hearts. 


TO  AN  OLD  DISCIPLE.  291 

In  general,  too,  we  are  treated  with  respect.  Good 
men  think  with  Solomon  that  "  the  hoary  head  is  a 
crown  of  glory,  if  it  be  found  in  the  way  of  righteous- 
ness." The  respect  paid  us  is  well  suited  to  smooth 
our  way.  We  have  also  stores  of  experience,  which 
wealth  could  not  buy.  We  have  been  taught  the  art 
of  walking  in  darkness  and  having  no  light,  and  yet 
trusting  in  the  Lord.  We  know  that  all  is  not  lost 
which  is  brought  into  danger .  We  know  better  than 
the  young  disciple  what  is  meant  by  such  texts  as 
these:  "When  I  am  weak,  then  I  am  strong;"  "  he 
that  loseth  his  life,  shall  find  it ;"  "I  have  meat  to 
eat,  that  ye  know  not  of."  A  thousand  good  lessons 
of  this  sort  has  God  taught  us.  We  know,  too,  that 
in  his  providence,  as  in  nature,  the  darkest  hour  is 
just  before  day.  Why  may  it  not  be  so  with  us,  as 
our  sky  is  more  and  more  lowering?  May  not 
eternal  day  be  ready  to  burst  upon  us  ?  Indeed,  a 
thousand  mercies  still  surround  us.  If  our  hearts 
are  right,  we  cannot  fail  to  see  them.  Let  us  often 
count  them  up. 

Will  you  permit  one  who  is  less  than  the  least  of 
all  saints  to  give  you  a  few  words  of  counsel  ?  If 
the  advice  given  is  good,  follow  it ;  if  not  good,  re- 
ject it. 

1.  As  long  as  you  can,  maintain  habits  of  bod- 


292  NEARING  HOME. 

ily    activity.     If  you    cannot    do    much,   do    what 
you  can. 

2.  Keep  your  mind  employed.  Many  aged  men 
review  their  youthful  studies.  President  Edwards 
reviewed  his  Euclid  every  year.  Some  begin  new 
studies  late  in  life,  as  Dr.  Scott  and  Dr.  Bogue.  Read 
something  with  care  every  day,  or  cause  it  to  be  read 
to  you.  The  history  of  the  aged  is  full  of  warnings 
against  idleness  of  mind  and  laziness  of  body.  Your 
physician  and  pastor  can  both  give  you  many  reasons 
in  favour  of  activity.  The  average  length  of  life 
among  retired  merchants,  who  have  given  up  all 
business,  is  said  not  to  exceed  two  or  three  years.  If 
you  live  in  idleness,  life  will  soon  be  a  burden. 
Beware ! 

3.  If  you  have  property,  retain  exclusive  control 
of  enough  to  keep  you  from  want.  A  dependent  old 
age  may  be  unavoidable,  and,  when  it  is,  should  be 
borne  submissively.  But  it  is  a  great  trial.  If  men 
will  treat  you  well  without  property,  they  will  also 
if  you  have  your  own  means.  The  reverse  of  this  is 
not  always  true. 

4.  But  beware  of  covetousness,  that  universal  sin. 
u  The  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil." 
It  is  very  apt  to  grow  rapidly  on  the  aged.  Be 
ashamed  to  deny  to  those  who  have  a  right  to  expect 


TO  AN  OLD  DISCIPLE.  293 

it,  a  share  in  your  estate,  when  you  can  divide  it.    As 
far  as  you  can,  be  your  own  almoner  and  executor. 

5.  Be  always  trying  to  do  good  by  word  and  deed, 
by  precept  and  example.  Encourage  the  timid,  warn 
the  reckless,  visit  the  poor,  support  humane  and  mis- 
sionary institutions,  teach  the  ignorant,  be  eyes  to  the 
blind  and  feet  to  the  lame,  make  the  widow's  heart 
to  sing  for  joy,  and  do  whatever  will  bless  men  and 
honour  God.  "  No  man  liveth  to  himself."  "  As 
you  have  opportunity,  do  good  to  all  men." 

6.  Cultivate  cheerfulness  of  temper.  Try  to  be 
pleased  with  your  lot  and  your  generation.  Be  not 
a  murmurer  and  complainer.  A  sour  old  man  or 
woman  is  neither  happy,  nor  useful,  nor  amiable. 
Remember,  the  birds  sang,  the  lambs  skipped,  and 
the  children  laughed  when  you  were  young,  and  they 
always  will  do  it.  Find  not  fault  needlessl}T.  "  Say 
not  thou,  What  is  the  cause  the  former  days  were 
better  than  these  ?  for  thou  inquirest  not  wisely  con- 
cerning, this."  Ever  since  Adam  fell  there  have 
been  wicked  men  and  wicked  deeds  on  earth.  I  ex- 
ceedingly like  a  common  saying  of  a  pious  old  Eng- 
lish bishop,  "  Serve  God  and  be  cheerful." 

7.  Yield  not  to  tormenting  despondency  about  the 
cause  of  Christ.  The  Church  is  safe.  She  is  graven 
on  the  palms  of  her  Redeemer's  hands.     The  cause 


294  NEABINQ  HOME. 

of  piety  may  decline  in  one  place  or  at  one  time,  but 
Christ's  kingdom  is  gaining  every  year.  The  saints 
may  lose  a  battle,  but  not  the  war.  Christ  loves  the 
Church  more  than  you  do.  "  He  shall  not  fail  nor 
be  discouraged  till  he  have  set  judgment  in  the 
earth."  "  Hast  thou  not  known  ?  hast  thou  not  heard, 
that  the  everlasting  God,  the  Lord,  the  Creator  of  the 
ends  of  the  earth,  fainteth  not,  neither  is  weary?" 
"  Xo  weapon  formed  against  Zion  shall  prosper." 
"  The  earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea,  for  the  mouth  of 
the  Lord  hath  spoken  it."  Rest  assured  that  Christ 
';  shall  see  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied." 

8.  Make  yourself  well  acquainted  with  the  pro- 
mises of  God,  especially  those  which  have  a  peculiar 
pertinency  to  you.     If  you  are  a  widow,  hear  him 

■  ing,  "A  father  of  the  fatherless,  and  a  judge  of 
the  widows  is  God  in  his  holy  habitation."  "  He 
relieveth  the  fatherless  and  widow."  See  the  Con- 
cordance under  the  word  "widow."  Are  you  child- 
less? Thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  the  [childless] 
*•  that  keep  my  Sabbaths,  and  choose  the  things  that 
please  me,  and  take  hold  of  my  covenant;  even  unto 
them  will  I  give  in  mine  house  and  within  my  walls 

place  and  a  name  better  than  of  sons  and  daugh- 
ters :  I  will  give  them  an  everlasting  name  that  shall 


TO  AN  OLD  DISCIPLE.  295 

not  be  cut  off."  Are  you  poor?  The  promise  is: 
"  Thy  bread  and  thy  water  are  sure."  "  A  little  that 
a  righteous  man  hath  is  better  than  the  riches  of 
many  wicked."  Are  you  wearied  in  the  greatness 
of  your  way  ?  "  They  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall 
renew  their  strength."  "The  feeble  among  them 
shall  be  as  David."  And  how  was  David?  Though 
a  stripling,  he  slew  a  bear  and  a  lion,  and  the  giant 
of  Gath.  Whatever  be  your  condition  or  fears,  here 
are  the  promises  to  all  the  aged  pious  :  "  They  shall 
bring  forth  fruit  in  old  age."  "Even  to  your  old 
age  I  am  He,  and  even  to  hoar  hairs  I  will  carry 
you :  I  have  made,  and  I  will  bear,  even  I  will  carry 
you  and  deliver  you." 

"What  more  could  he  say  than  to  you  he  has  said?" 

Therefore  set  your  hope  and  put  your  trust  in  God. 
Embrace  the  promises.  They  can  never  fail  to  those 
who  rest  upon  them.  Nothing  but  unbelief  can  an- 
nihilate them.  Take  firm  hold  of  them,  and  your 
last  days  shall  be  your  best  days,  and  as  the  outward 
man  waxes  weaker  the  inward  man  shall  be  renewed 
day  by  clay,  and  God  himself  shall  be  your  God.  "  It 
is  one  of  the  best  sights  to  see  silver  hairs  adorned 
with  golden  virtues,"  yea,  with  graces  more  precious 
than  gold.     Have  faith  in  God.     Hope  to  the  end. 


296  NEARTXG  HOME. 

9.  Study  to  acquire  and  maintain  clear  views  of  the 
riches  and  freeness  of  Christ.  lie  is  a  Prophet. 
"Learn  of  him."  He  is  a  Priest.  Rely  on  his 
great  sacrifice  and  intercession.  His  intercession  is 
as  precious  as  his  blood.  If  you  wish  an  assurance 
that  you  shall  never  fall  into  condemnation,  here  it' 
is:  "Simon,  Simon,  behold,  Satan  hath  desired  to 
have  you,  that  he  may  sift  you  as  wheat;  but  I  have 
prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not."  Christ  is  a 
King.  His  "  throne  is  for  ever  and  ever."  He  has 
all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth.  He  is  the  vine, 
ye  are  the  branches.  Because  he  lives  you  shall 
live  also.  He  is  the  good  Shepherd,  and  none  is 
able  to  pluck  his  sheep  out  of  his  hand,  nor  his 
lambs  out  of  his  bosom.  He  is  God,  and  therefore 
counts  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God.  He  is 
man,  and  therefore  he  is  not  ashamed  to  call  us 
brethren.  He  was  dead,  and  so  he  made  expiation. 
He  is  alive  for  evermore,  and  so  we  shall  never 
perish.  If  sin  calls  for  a  curse,  the  death  of  Christ 
calls  louder  for  pardon.  If  he  is  the  Author  of  our 
faith,  he  is  also  its  Finisher.  Study  his  character  and 
work.  You  can  not  know  too  much  of  him.  He  is 
the  desire  of  all  nations,  the  delight  of  the  sons  of 
men.  ( rod  over  all,  blessed  for  ever. 

10.  Endeavour  to  glorify  God  in  all  vour  sorrows, 


TO  AN  OLD  DISCIPLE.  297 

and  especially  in  your  death.  If  your  children  give 
you  grief,  say  as  David  in  his  old  age :  "  Though  my 
house  be  not  so  with  God  [as  I  could  wish],  yet  hath 
he  made  with  me  an  everlasting  covenant,  ordered 
in  all  things  and  sure."  If  your  children  are  cut 
down  in  a  way  that  makes  you  tremble  for  their 
souls,  say  as  Eli :  "  It  is  the  Lord  ;  let  him  do  what 
seemeth  him  good."  If  men  revile  you,  say  as  the 
royal  Psalmist :  "  Let  him  curse  .  .  It  may  be  God 
will  look  upon  mine  affliction  and  reward  me  good 
for  this  cursing."  If  you  be  under  any  affliction 
which  is  common  to  men,  why  should  you  think  it 
strange?  "  Shall  we  receive  good  at  the  hand  of  the 
Lord,  and  shall  we  not  receive  evil"  also  ?  If  you 
can  say  nothing  to  the  praise  of  God  in  your  afflic- 
tions, at  least  be  "  dumb  and  open  not  your  mouth." 
If  your  afflictions  be  strange,  so  were  Christ's.  "He 
was  tempted  in  all  points  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin." 
"  If  we  suffer  with  him,  we  shall  also  reign  with  him." 
By  quietness  and  patience  in  affliction  you  will  be 
prepared  to  honour  God  in  your  death.  It  is  as 
much  a  duty  to  glorify  God  in  death  as  in  life.  We 
may,  by  his  grnce,  do  more  in  an  hour  at  death  than 
we  have  done  in  years  before.  Samson's  greatest 
achievement  against  the  enemies  of  God  and  of  his 
Church  was  in  his  death.     Our  last  battle  is  com- 

38 


298  NJSAB1N0  HOME. 

monly  our  greatest.  Happy  is  lie  who  is  able  to 
shout  and  sing,  "0  death,  where  is  thy  victory?" 
"  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord." 

There  is  something  very  remarkable  in  the  fact 
that  the  aged  seldom  fall  into  so  great  a  decay  of 
their  faculties  as  to  forget  those  things  which  have 
most  engaged  their  affections.  Nearly  two  thousand 
years  ago,  Cicero  (in  his  treatise  concerning  old  age) 
said  that  he  had  never  heard  of  a  miser's  memory  so 
far-failing  him  that  he  forgot  where  his  treasure  was 
hid.  He  loved  that  most,  and  he  remembered  it 
longest.  I  have  seen  a  pious  man  who  was  said  to 
be  one  hundred  and  six  years  old.  All  his  faculties 
were  greatly  impaired.  His  memory  was  so  far  gone 
that  he  could  no  more  learn  any  man's  name.  Yet 
he  could  repeat  many  of  Watts'  hymns,  and  give 
an  intelligible  account  of  the  way  of  life.  It  is 
said  that  Bishop  Beveridge  in  his  old  age,  being- 
near  death,  was  visited  by  some  of  his  old  friends, 
who,  by  turns,  took  his  hand  and  said,  "Bishop 
Beveridge,  do  you  know  me?"  His  answer  was, 
"No."  His  wife  asked  the  same  question,  and  re- 
ceived the  same  answer.  At  length  one  said,  "Bishop 
Beveridge,  do  you  know  Jesus  Christ?"  "Yes,  oh 
yes,"  said  he;  "I  shall  never  forget  him.  When 
sinking  in  despair  under  the  load  of  my  sins,  Jesus 


TO  AN  OLD  DISCIPLE.  299 

Christ  showed  me  mercy  and  saved  me.  An  1  he 
has  been  with  me  ever  since." 

Poly  carp  suffered  martyrdom  at  Smyrna  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  166,  aged  ninety-five  years.  'Che 
historian  says  that  when  he  appeared  before  the 
proconsul,  the  latter  said  to  him,  "  Swear,  curse 
Christ,  and  I  will  set  you  free !"  The  old  man  an- 
swered, "  Eighty -and- six  years  have  I  received  cnly 
good  at  his  hands.  Can  I  then  curse  my  King  ind 
Saviour?"  When  the  proconsul  continued  to  pi  ess 
him,  Polycarp  said,  "Well,  then,  if  you  desire  to 
know  who  I  am,  I  tell  thee  freely,  I  am  a  Christian  ! 
If  you  desire  to  know  what  Christianity  is,  appoint 
an  hour  and  hear  me."  The  proconsul,  who  here 
showed  that  he  would  gladly  have  saved  him  if  he 
could  silence  the  people,  said  to  Polycarp,  "  Only 
persuade  the  people."  He  replied,  "  To  you  I  felt 
myself  bound  to  render  an  account,  for  our  religion 
teaches  us  to  treat  the  powers  ordained  by  God  with 
becoming  reverence,  as  far  as  is  consistent  with  our 
salvation.  But  as  for  those  without,  I  consider  them 
undeserving  any  defence  from  me." 

And  justly,  too !  for  what  would  it  have  been  but 
throwing  pearls  before  swine,  to  attempt  to  speak  of 
the  gospel  to  a  wild,  tumultuous,  and  fanatical  mob  ? 
After  the  governor  had  in  vain  threatened  him  with 


300  NEARIXG  HOME. 

the  wild  beasts  and  the  fire,  he  made  the  herald  pub- 
licly announce  in  the  circus  that  Polycarp  had  con- 
fessed himself  a  Christian.  These  words  contained 
the  sentence  of  death  against  him.  The  people  in- 
stantly cried  out,  "  This  is  the  teacher  of  Asia,  the 
father  of  the  Christians,  the  enemy  of  the  gods,  who 
has  taught  so  many  not  to  pray  to  the  gods  and  not 
to  sacrifice." 

As  soon  as  the  proconsul  had  complied  with  the 
demand  of  the  populace,  that  Polycarp  should  perish 
on  the  funeral  pile,  Jews  and  Gentiles  hastened  with 
the  utmost  eagerness  to  collect  the  wood  from  the 
workshops  and  the  baths.  When  they  wished  to 
fasten  him  with  nails  to  the  pile,  the  old  man  said, 
"  Leave  me  thus,  I  pray,  unfastened.  He  who  has 
enabled  me  to  abide  the  fire  will  give  me  strength 
also  to  remain  firm  on  the  stake."  Before  the  fire 
was  lighted  he  prayed  thus :  "0  Lord,  Almighty 
God !  the  Father  of  thy  beloved  Son,  Jesus  Christ, 
through  whom  we  have  received  the  knowledge  of 
thee!  God  of  the  angels,  and  of  the  whole  creation; 
of  the  whole  human  race,  and  of  the  saints  who 
live  in  thy  presence !  I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast 
thought  me  worthy  of  this  day,  and  this  hour,  to 
share  the  cup  of  thy  Christ  among  the  number  of  thy 
witnesses!" 


TO  AN  OLD  DISCIPLE.  301 

Thus  praying,  the  flame  was  kindled,  and  he  went 
to  heaven  as  it  were  in  a  chariot  of  fire. 

Thus  God  fulfils  the  promises  :  "  Even  to  your  old 
age  I  am  he,  and  even  to  hoar  hairs  I  will  carry  you." 
"  I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee." 

Aged  disciple,  can  you  not  trust  him  ?  Is  he  not 
worthy?  May  you  not  say,  "I  will  not  fear  what 
man  can  do  unto  me;"  "All  the  days  of  my  appointed 
time  will  I  wait  till  my  change  come;"  "Lord,  what 
thou  wilt,  when  thou  wilt,  and  how  thou  wilt;"  "I 
know  no  will  but  thine;"  "The  Lord  is  my  portion;" 
"Jesus,  my  Lord  and  my  (lod,  to  thee  I  commit  my 
spirit  in  life,  in  death,  and  for  ever" 


flnlg  Spatting 

ANONYMOUS. 

A  very  aged  Christian,  who  wa\  so  poor  as  to  be  in  an  almshouse,  was 
asked  what  he  was  doing  now.     He  replied,  "  Only  waiting." 

Only  waiting  till  the  shadows 

Are  a  little  longer  grown  ; 
Only  waiting  till  the  glimmer 

Of  the  day's  last  gleam  is  flown ; 
Till  the  night  of  earth  is  faded 

From  the  heart  once  full  of  day ; 
Till  the  stars  of  heaven  are  breaking 

Through  the  twilight  soft  and  gray. 

Only  waiting  till  the  reapers 

Have  the  last  sheaf  gathered  home ; 
For  the  summer-time  is  faded, 

And  the  autumn  winds  have  come. 
Quickly,  reapers,  gather  quickly 

The  last  ripe  hours  of  my  heart, 
For  the  bloom  of  life  is  withered, 

And  I  hasten  to  depart. 

302 


ONLY  WAITING.  303 

Only  waiting  till  the  angels 

Open  wide  the  mystic  gate, 
At  whose  feet  I  long  have  lingered, 

Weary,  poor,  and  desolate. 
Even  now  I  hear  the  footsteps, 

And  their  voices,  far  away; 
If  they  call  me,  I  am  waiting, 

Only  waiting  to  obey. 

Only  waiting  till  the  shadows 

Are  a  little  longer  grown  ; 
Only  waiting  till  the  glimmer 

Of  the  clay's  last  gleam  is  flown  ; 
Then  from  out  the  gathering  darkness 

Holy,  deathless  stars  shall  rise, 
By  whose  light  my  soul  shall  gladly 

Tread  its  pathway  to  the  skies. 


Mrienb  after  jfrknir  0eparis. 

JAMES    MONTGOMERY. 

Friend  after  friend  departs  ; 

Who  hath  not  lost  a  friend  ? 
There  is  no  union  here  of  hearts 

That  finds  not  here  an  end : 
Were  this  frail  world  our  only  rest, 
Living  or  dying,  none  were  blest. 

Beyond  the  flight  of  time, 
Beyond  this  vale  of  death, 

There  surely  is  some  blessed  clime 
Where  life  is  not  a  breath, 

Nor  life's  affections  transient  fire, 

Whose  sparks  fly  upward  to  expire. 

There  is  a  world  above, 

Where  parting  is  unknown — 

A  whole  eternity  of  love, 
Formed  for  the  good  alone ; 

And  faith  beholds  the  dying  here 

Translated  to  that  happier  sphere. 


304 


FRIEND  AFTER  FRIEND  DEPARTS.  305 

Thus  star  by  star  declines, 

Till  all  are  passed  away, — 
As  morning  high  and  higher  shines 

To  pure  and  perfect  day  : 
JSTor  sink  those  stars  in  empty  night ; 
They  hide  themselves  in  heaven's  own  light. 


39 


^oTorbs  in  ilcasrm. 


ANONYMOUS. 


"  Cast  me  not  off  in  the  time  of  old  age  ;  forsake  me 
not  when  my  strength  faileth."  Psa.  lxxi.  9. 

Aged  believer !  you  feel  your  dependence  upon 
God  for  support  and  succour.  If  he  should  forsake 
you,  if  he  should  east  you  off,  you  would  indeed  be 
helpless  and  hopeless.  But  you  rejoice  in  the  assu- 
rance that  this  can  never  be  realized.  You  know 
that  he  will  never  leave  you  to  bear  up  alone  the 
pressure  of  your  trials  and  infirmities ;  that  he  will 
never  relax  the  grasp  which  enfolds  you  in  his  love. 
And  therefore  your  prayer  is  rather  the  expression 
of  confidence  than  the  apprehension  of  fear.  You 
ask  for  that  which  he  has  promised,  which  you  are 
certain  he  will  grant — the  continuance  of  his  gracious 
aid.  In  youthful  days,  it  may  be,  in  healthful  hours, 
you  found  that  without  him  you  were  weak  and  un- 
protected ;  and  now  in  the  time  of  old  age,  when 
your  strength  faileth,  you  are  more  deeply  conscious 
of  your  need  of  his  help.     Well,  ask  and  you  shall 

306 


WORDS  IN  SEASON.  307 

receive ;  cast  your  burden,  cast  yourself  upon  him, 
and  he  will  sustain  you.  Fear  not,  for  he  is  with 
you ;  be  not  dismayed,  for  he  is  your  God ;  he  will 
strengthen  you ;  yea,  he  will  help  you ;  yea,  he  will 
uphold  you  with  the  right  hand  of  his  righteous- 
ness.* These  things  will  he  do  unto  you,  and  will 
never  forsake  you. 

"Why  should  I  doubt  his  love  at  last, 

With  anxious  thoughts  perplexed? 
Who  saved  me  in  the  troubles  past 

Will  save  me  in  the  next. 
Will  save — till  at  my  latest  hour, 

With  more  than  conquest  blest, 
I  soar  beyond  temptation's  power, 

And  enter  into  rest. ' ' 

"Thou  hast  taught  me  from  my  youth:  and  hitherto 
have  I  declared  thy  wondrous  works.  Now  also  when  I 
am  old  and  gray-headed,  0  God,  forsake  me  not."  Psa. 
lxxi.  17,  18. 

"Thou  hast  taught  me  from  my  youth."  How 
encouraging  it  is  to  look  back  to  our  early  life,  and 
recognize  the  goodness  of  God  in  its  varied  events ! 
He  was  our  Guide,  our  Instructor,  our  Father.  He 
restrained  us  from  evil ;  counselled  us  in  difficulty ; 
directed   us   in  uncertainty;   preserved  us  through 

*  Isa.  xli.  10. 


308  NEARING  HOME. 

danger.  All  the  knowledge  which  we  have  gained 
of  his  character,  of  his  will,  of  ourselves,  of  futurity, 
he  has  communicated  to  us.  And  how  gradual,  how 
wise,  how  gentle  are  his  teachings  !  How  patiently 
has  he  borne  with  our  ignorance  and  forgetfulness  ! 
how  tenderly  has  he  imparted  his  most  difficult  les- 
sons !  And  though  we  have  been  dull  and  wayward 
scholars,  though  we  have  not  profited  as  we  might 
have  done  by  his  Divine  instructions,  yet  we  know, 
if  we  are  disciples  of  Christ,  that  we  have  so  learned 
of  him  as  to  find  rest  unto  our  souls.  We  have 
learned  to  rely  upon  his  strength,  to  depend  upon  his 
faithfulness,  to  trust  in  his  righteousness. 

"  And  hitherto  have  I  declared  thy  wondrous 
works."  Grateful  for  his  favours  towards  us,  we 
have  striven  to  live  to  his  praise  and  show  forth  his 
glory.  It  has  been  our  aim  to  communicate  to 
others  the  knowledge  which  we  have  received.  We 
have  spoken  of  his  goodness  to  those  around  us.  We 
have  not  been  ashamed  of  his  gospel,  nor  indifferent 
to  his  honour. 

"  Now  also  when  I  am  old  and  gray-headed,  0  God, 
forsake  me  not."  "  Those  who  have  been  taught  of 
God  from  their  youth,  and  have  made  it  the  business 
of  their  lives  to  serve  and  honour  him,  may  be  sure 
that  he  will  not  leave  them  when  they  are  old  and 


WORDS  IX  SEASON.  309 

gray-Iieaded:  he  is  not  a  Master  that  is  wont  to  cast 
off  old  servants." 

"In  early  years  thou  wast  my  guide, 
And  of  rny  youth  the  friend ; 
And  as  my  days  began  with  thee, 
With  thee  my  days  shall  end. ' ' 

"  And  even  to  your  old  age  I  am  He  ;  and  even  to  hoar 
hairs  will  I  carry  you,"  Isa.  xlvi.  4. 

Ah,  Christian,  here  is  ground  for  your  confidence 
in  God.  You  have  his  promise  that  he  will  be  with 
you  in  your  old  age,  to  support  you  under  its  infir- 
mities, and  therefore  you  are  cheerful  and  tranquil. 
Listen  to  the  testimony  of  an  aged  pilgrim  :  "  What 
a  comfort  it  is,  as  we  get  old  and  feeble,  and  friends 
drop  off  one  after  another,  to  remember  that  our  God 
does  not  change !  He  says  to  us,  '  I  am  he ;'  the 
same  that  I  ever  was  ;  'I  am  he  ;'  the  Lord  who  pre- 
served and  guided  you  from  your  infancy ;  '  I  am 
he :'  all  that  I  have  promised  to  be  to  you,  all  that 
you  can  possibly  need.  'And  even  to  hoar  hairs  will 
I  carry  you.'  What  tender  and  expressive  language  ! 
How  can  we  help  trusting  in  such  a  mighty  and  lov- 
ing Friend?  Whether  we  look  at  the  present  or  the 
future,  there  is  no  room  for  fear.  Those  who  can 
walk  have  his  rod  and  staff  to  help  and  comfort 
them  ;  and  those  who  cannot  walk  find  that  his  ever- 


310  FEARING  HOME. 

lasting  arms  are  beneath  them,  and  that  they  are 
borne  safely  onwards.  We  are  like  children,  who, 
when  thgjr  are  weak  and  tired,  are  carried  in  a 
father's  arms,  and  lifted  over  difficulty  and  danger." 

"Fear  not,  I  am  with  thee ;  oh,  be  not  dismayed  I 
I,  I  am  thy  God,  and  will  still  give  thee  aid ; 
I'll  strengthen  thee,  help  thee,  and  cause  thee  to  stand, 
Upheld  by  my  righteous,  omnipotent  hand. 

E'en  down  to  old  age  all  my  people  shall  prove 
My  sovereign,  eternal,  unchangeable  love ; 
And  when  hoary  hairs  shall  their  temples  adorn, 
In  the  arms  of  my  mercy  they  still  shall  be  borne." 

"  The  hoary  head  is  a  crown  of  glory,  if  it  be  found 
in  the  way  of  righteousness"  Prov.  xvi.  31. 

Old  age  is  honourable,  and  commands  respect. 
"  Thou  shalt  rise  up  before  the  hoary  head,  and  hon- 
our the  face  of  the  old  man."*  But  we  cannot  ex- 
pect to  receive  true  and  lasting  deference  from  others 
unless  our  character  is  calculated  to  win  their  esteem. 
Superiority  in  age  should  be  combined  with  supe- 
riority in  excellence.  Multitude  of  years  should  teach 
wisdom.  "  The  hoary  head  is  a  crown  of  glory,  if" 
— mark  that — ■"  if  it  be  found  in  the  way  of  right- 
eousness." If  it  be  found  in  the  way  of  wickedness, 
its  honour  is  forfeited,  its  crown  profaned  and  laid  in 

*  Lev.  xix.  32. 


WORDS  IN  SEASON.  311 

the  dust.  How  is  it  with  you,  reader  ?  Are  you 
sanctified  through  faith  in  Christ?  are  you  "  walking 
in  all  the  commandments  and  ordinances  of  the  Lord 
blameless?"*  Oh,  how  lovely  and  dignified  is  old 
age  when  marked  by  piety  and  consistency ! 

"When  piety  adorne  declining  years, 
The  hoary  head  a  glorious  crown  appears ; 
A  dignity  no  earthly  rank  bestows 
Marks  the  believer  then ;  and  sweet  repose 
Is  stamped  upon  his  features ;  all  who  gaze 
Revere  his  person,  and  his  virtues  praise." 

"  Which  hope  we  have  as  an  anchor  of  the  soul,  both 
sure  and  steadfast,  and  which  enter eth  into  that  within 
the  veiV  Heb.  vi.  19. 

A  vessel  was  driving  ashore.  Her  anchors  were 
gone,  and  she  refused  to  obey  the  helm.  A  few  mo- 
ments more  and  she  would  strike.  If  any  should  be 
saved,  they  must  be  tossed  by  the  waves  on  the 
beach.  In  the  midst  of  the  general  consternation 
there  was  one  person  quite  calm.  He  had  done  all 
that  a  man  could  do  to  prepare  for  the  worst  when 
the  wreck  was  inevitable ;  and  now  that  death  was 
apparently  near  he  was  quietly  waiting  the  event.  A 
friend  of  his  asked  the  reason  of  his  calmness  in  the 
midst  of  danger  so  imminent : 

*  Luke  i.  6. 


312  BEARING  HOME. 

"  Do  you  not  know  that  the  anchor  is  gone,  and 
we  are  drifting  upon  the  coast  ?" 

"  Certainly  I  do  ;  but  I  have  an  anchor  to  the  soul." 
On  this  was  his  trust.  It  entered  into  that  within 
the  veil.  It  was  the  ground  of  his  confidence  in  the 
storm,  and  enabled  him  to  ride  securely  in  the  view 
of  instant  and  awful  death. 

Have  you  this  anchor,  reader?  Is  the  hope 
of  the  gospel  yours  ?  Amidst  the  storms  and  trials 
of  life,  and  in  the  prospect  of  danger  and  death, 
are  you  calm  and  trustful,  assured  that  you  will 
soon  be  admitted  into  the  haven  of  everlasting 
peace  ? 

Or  are  you  destitute  of  this  hope  ?  Without  it, 
how  can  you  be  happy?  Without  it,  what  will  you 
do  in  the  swellings  of  Jordan  ?  It  may  be  yours — 
yours  even  now — if  you  will  seek  it,  if  you  will  ac- 
cept it.  The  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life.  Confidence 
in  him — faith  in  Christ — will  link  your  tempest- 
tossed,  troubled,  and  perishing  spirit  with  perpetual 
repose  and  security — with  the  unseen  glories  of 
heaven. 

"How  still,  amidst  commotion, 
The  bark  at  anchor  cast ! 
Around  her  heaves  the  ocean, 
The  anchor  holds  her  fast 


WORDS  IN  SEASON.  313 

So  hope,  an  anchor  of  the  soul, 

How  steadfast,  to  the  saint  is  given : 
Though  waves  of  trouble  round  him  roll, 

His  hope  is  fixed  in  heaven." 

"  They  shall  still  biding  forth  fruit  in  old  age.11  Psa. 
xcii.  14. 

The  palm  tree,  to  which  God's  people  are  in  this 
psalm  compared,  is  remarkable  for  its  lengthened  and 
increasing  fruitfulness.  The  best  dates  are  said  to  be 
gathered  when  it  has  reached  a  hundred  years.  How 
beautiful  an  emblem  of  the  aged  believer,  growing  in 
grace  and  maturing  in  holiness  to  the  close  of  his 
earthly  existence  !  Each  day,  each  year,  added  to  his 
life,  adds  to  the  loveliness  and  perfection  of  his  Chris- 
tian virtues.  His  character  has  a  mellowness  and 
sweetness  which  it  lacked  in  earlier  seasons.  He  is 
ripening  for  heaven.  In  knowledge,  in  wisdom,  in 
love,  in  humility,  in  gentleness,  in  forbearance,  in 
peace,  in  usefulness,  in  happiness,  he  is  steadily  and 
constantly  advancing.  He  is  filled  with  the  Spirit, 
and  therefore  brings  forth  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit. 

Is  this  portraiture  of  an  aged  Christian  yours, 
reader  ?  Alas,  it  does  not  belong  to  all  who  profess 
and  call  themselves  by  the  Saviour's  name.  Nay,  it 
may  be  feared  that  there  are  some,  really  and  mani- 
festly his,  to  whom  it  bears  but  little  resemblance. 

40 


314  NEARING  HOME. 

They  have  long  been  "  planted"  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  but  they  do  not  appear  to  "flourish"  in  the 
courts  of  our  God ;  and  as  years  augment  they  seem 
to  imagine  that  the  infirmities  of  age  are  excuses  for 
their  little  fruitfulness.  But  they  certainly  never 
gathered  such  an  idea  from  God's  word,  nor  rightly 
studied  and  pleaded  his  promises  to  themselves. 
Follow  not  their  example.  Rest  not  satisfied  with 
past  attainments.  Strive  to  glorify  God  more  than 
you  have  ever  yet  done.  Let  your  last  days  be  your 
best  days  ;  your  latest  fruit,  the  richest.  "  And  this  I 
pray,  that  your  love  may  abound  yet  more  and  more 
in  knowledge  and  in  all  judgment;  that  ye  may  ap- 
prove things  that  are  excellent ;  that  ye  may  be  sin- 
cere and  without  offence  till  the  day  of  Christ ;  being 
filled  with  the  fruits  of  righteousness,  which  are  by 
Jesus  Christ,  unto  the  glory  and  praise  of  God."* 

"  How  beautiful  to  see 
The  clustered  fruit  upon  the  bending  tree  1 
Yet  lovelier  still  the  graces  which  adorn 
The  soul  that's  heaven-born. 
And  age  does  not  diminish,  but  increase 
The  precious  fruits  of  love,  and  joy,  and  peace, 
And  gentleness,  and  patience  ;  at  life's  close 
Eacli  Christian  virtue  more  luxuriant  grows." 

*  Phil.  i.  9-11. 


WOEDS  IN  SEASON.  315 

"  My  times  are  in  thy  hand"  Psa.  xxxi.  15. 

Then  I  am  sure  that  they  will  be  wisely  ordered. 
Thou  hast  all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth ;  thou 
art.  acquainted  with  the  end  from  the  beginning; 
everything  is  subject  to  thy  control,  and  the  future 
to  thee  is  as  the  present ;  therefore  there  can  be  no 
mistake  in  thy  purposes — no  imperfection  in  thy 
plans. 

"  My  times  are  in  thy  hand"  Then  I  will  not  be 
anxious  nor  distressed  about  the  future.  Varied  may 
be  the  times  which  I  have  yet  to  experience — times 
of  sorrow  or  joy;  of  poverty  or  plenty;  of  sickness 
or  health ;  of  life  or  death ;  but  I  can  calmly  leave 
them  to  thy  disposal.  I  cannot  foresee  the  events 
which  thy  providence  appoints,  but  I  can  wait  and 
trust.  The  period  and  the  manner  of  my  departure 
hence  are  unknown  to  me,  but  I  am  free  from  all 
solicitude  on  these  points,  because  thou  hast  arranged 
them  for  the  best. 

"My  times  are  in  thy  hand;  the  night,  the  day, 
The  moon's  pale  glimmering,  and  the  sunny  ray 
Are  thine ;  and  thine  the  midnight  of  the  grave. 
Oh,  be  thou  there  to  strengthen  and  to  save — 
To  light  death's  valley  with  thy  beam  of  love, 
And  smile  a  welcome  to  thy  throne  above." 

"  Bless  the  L  ord,  0  my  soul :  and  all  that  is  wiiU* 


316  HEARING  HOME. 

me,  bless  Ms  holy  name :  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul,  and 
forget  not  all  his  benefits"  Psa.  ciii.  1,  2. 

How  animating  is  the  sight  of  an  aged  Christian,, 
who  is  rejoicing  in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God,  and 
furnishing,  by  daily  conduct,  a  bright  example  to 
others  of  cheerfulness  and  gratitude!  His  life  is  a 
psalm  of  thanksgiving ;  his  happy  look  and  thankful 
spirit  fill  his  home  with  sunshine,  and  cast  their 
radiance  on  all  around  him.  It  is  impossible  to 
be  long  in  his  society  without  feeling  gladdened 
and  invigorated  by  it.  You  can  scarcely  tell  why, 
but  you  feel  less  disposed  to  complain,  and  more  in- 
clined to  rejoice,  than  you  did  before.  Your  own 
path  seems  to  grow  more  hopeful  and  promising; 
you  are  reminded  of  mercies  which  you  had  hitherto 
forgotten ;  and  the  troubles  which  you  thought  so 
heavy  insensibly  grow  lighter.  The  fact  is,  that  for 
a  time  at  least  you  have  caught  his  spirit  and  im- 
bibed his  tone  of  mind. 

A  lovely  instance  of  real  and  sustained  cheerful- 
ness was  the  late  justly  celebrated  William  Wilber- 
force.  "A  stranger  might  have  noticed  that  he  was 
more  uniformly  cheerful  than  most  men  of  his  time 
of  life.  Closer  observation  showed  a  vein  of  Chris- 
tian feeling,  mingling  with  and  purifying  the  natural 
flow  of  a  most  happy  temper;  whilst  those  who  lived 


WORDS  IN  SEASON.  317 

most  continually  with  him  could  trace  distinctly  in 
his  tempered  sorrows,  and  sustained  and  almost 
childlike  gladness  of  heart,  the  continual  presence  of 
that  peace  which  the  world  can  neither  give  nor  take 
away.  The  pages  of  his  later  journal  are  full  of 
bursts  of  joy  and  thankfulness;  and  with  his  children 
and  his  chosen  friends  his  full  heart  swelled  out 
ever  in  the  same  blessed  strains ;  he  seemed  too 
happy  not  to  express  his  happiness ;  his  song  was 
ever  of  the  loving-kindness  of  the  Lord."  Every- 
thing became  with  him  a  cause  for  thanksgiving. 
When  some  of  the  infirmities  of  vears  began  to 
press  upon  him,  "What  thanks  do  I  owe  to  God," 
was  his  reflection,  "  that  my  declining  strength  ap- 
pears likely  not  to  be  attended  with  painful  diseases, 
but  rather  to  lessen  gradually  and  by  moderate  de- 
grees !  How  good  a  friend  God  is  to  me !  When  I 
have  any  complaint,  it  is  always  so  mitigated  and 
softened  as  to  give  me  scarcely  any  pain.  'Bless  the 
Lord,  0  my  soul.'  What  thanks  do  I  owe  to  my 
gracious  and  kind  heavenly  Father !"  And  so,  when 
one  of  his  friends  had  passed  through  a  painful 
operation,  "  Seldom,"  he  says,  "  have  I  felt  anything 
so  deeply.  How  thankful  should  I  be  to  be  spared 
such  trials,  my  strength  not  being  equal  to  them!  I 
humbly  commit  myself  unto  Him  who  surely  has 


318  NEARING  HOME. 

given  me  reason  to  say,  (  Goodness  and  mercy  have 
followed  me  all  my  days.'  " 

Aged  Christian,  do  you  sympathize  with  these 
feelings?  do  you  share  this  thankfulness?  do  you 
manifest  this  gladness  ?  "  The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is 
love,  joy,  peace."*  Every  allowance  must  be  made 
for  natural  temperament.  Some  persons  are  natu- 
rally sanguine  and  cheerful ;  others  are  naturally 
gloomy  and  desponding.  But,  in  either  case,  the 
promises  of  the  gospel,  if  simply  believed  and 
heartily  appropriated,  cannot  fail  to  gladden  the 
heart  and  influence  the  conduct.  And  it  is  no  less 
our  duty  than  our  privilege  to  "rejoice  in  the  Lord 
alway;"  to  "show  forth  his  loving-kindness  in  the 
morning,  and  his  faithfulness  every  night;"  to  "be 
thankful  unto  him,  and  bless  his  name."*  We  must 
cultivate  this  joyous  and  grateful  frame  of  mind ;  we 
must  strive  by  meditation,  practice,  and  prayer  to 
acquire  or  to  strengthen  it ;  for  we  ought  no  more  to 
dishonour  God  by  our  unhappiness  and  unthankful- 
ness  than  by  our  unholiness. 

The  weakness  and  the  infirmities  of  old  age  some- 
times tend  to  depress  our  spirits  and  dim  our  hopes. 
Therefore  let  us  be  upon  our  guard ;  and  instead  of 
giving  way  to  discontent   and  despondency,  let  us 

*  Gal.  v.  22.  f  Psa.  xcii.  2;  c.  4. 


WORDS  IN  SEASON.  319 

count  up  our  mercies,  and  look  more  steadfastly  on 
the  bright  side  of  things ;  and  as  often  as  we  do  this 
sadness  will  be  chased  from  our  brow,  and  the  self- 
exhortation  to  praise  will  burst  from  our  lips:  "  Bless 
the  Lord,  0  my  soul :  and  all  that  is  within  me,  bless 
his  holy  name.  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul,  and  for- 
get not  all  his  benefits." 

"Farewell  to  sadness, 
Let  every  tear  depart ; 
Wake  all  to  gladness, 
Wake,  0  my  heart ! 
Shall  worldly  triflers  raise  the  song 
O'er  pleasures  they  must  lose  ere  long? 
And  shall  not  those  rejoice  and  sing. 
Who  love  the  heavenly  King  ? 
Let  saints  on  earth  unite  their  voice 
With  saints  that  round  the  throne  rejoice ; 
And  here  begin  the  song  that  through 
Eternal  years  is  new.'* 

"Though  our  outward  man  perish,  yet  the  inward  man 
ts  renewed  day  by  dayT  2  Cor.  iv.  16. 

"  We  must,  of  necessity,"  says  a  celebrated  writer, 
"become  better  or  worse  as  we  advance  in  years. 
Unless  we  endeavour  to  spiritualize  ourselves,  and 
supplicate  in  this  endeavour  for  that  grace  which  is 
never  withheld  when  it  is  sincerely  and  earnestly 
sought,  age  lodylizes  us  more  and  more,  and  the  older 


320  NEARING  HOME. 

we  grow  the  more  are  we  imbruted  and  debased ; — 
so  manifestly  is  the  text  verified  which  warns  us  that, 
1  Unto  every  one  which  hath  shall  be  given ;  and 
from  him  that  hath  not,  even  that  he  hath  shall  be 
taken  away.'*  In  some  the  soul  seems  gradually  to 
be  absorbed  and  extinguished  in  its  crust  of  clay  ;  in 
others,  as  if  it  purified  and  sublimed  the  vehicle  to 
which  it  was  united.  Nothing  therefore  is  more 
beautiful  than  a  wise  and  religious  old  age ;  nothing 
so  pitiable  as  the  latter  stages  of  mortal  existence, 
when  the  world,  and  the  flesh,  and  that  false  philos- 
ophy which  is  of  the  devil,  have  secured  the  victory 
for  the  grave." 

Aged  Christian,  thank  God  for  the  strengthening 
and  invigorating  grace  which  he  imparts  to  you. 
Your  earthly  frame  is  weak  and  enfeebled ;  it  has 
lost  its  vigour  and  elasticity  ;  it  is  harassed  with  pain 
and  infirmity;  it  must  soon  die.  But  while  your 
body  decays  your  soul  thrives.  If  the  one  is  pre- 
paring for  the  grave,  the  other  is  ripening  for  glory. 
Your  faith  grows  firmer,  your  hope  stronger,  your 
love  deeper,  your  views  clearer. 

The  soul's  poor  cottage,  battered  and  decayed, 

Lets  in  new  light  through  chinks  which  time  hath  made. 

"For  our  light  affliction,  which  is  but  for  a  moment, 

*  Luke  xix.  26. 


WOEJDS  IN  SEASON.  321 

worketJi  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  iveight 
of  glory r  2  Cor.  iv.  17. 

"In  visiting,"  writes  a  clergyman,  "a  poor  man 
who  has  been  bed-ridden  these  twenty -fine  years,  I 
was  preparing  to  pity  him,  but  he  called  on  me  to 
rejoice.  "Are  you  not  wearied  out  with  the  length 
of  your  afflictions?"  "Wearied,  sir!"  said  he;  "no, 
nature  will  soon  faint,  but  God  sustains  me.  I  could 
lie  here  for  another  twenty-five  years,  if  it  pleased 
God.  I  have  found  this  bed  to  be  the  very  gate  of 
heaven.  Length  of  my  affliction,  sir!  Oh,  let  me 
not  call  it  long :  it  is  short,  very  short,  and  will  soon 
be  over.  These  light  afflictions,  which  are  but  for  a 
moment,  work  for  me  a  far  more  exceeding  and 
eternal  weight  of  glory.  Is  not  God  all  love  ?  He 
cannot  then  be  unkind.  Is  he  not  all  wise?  He 
cannot  then  do  wrong.  Are  not  his  promises  yea  and 
amen  in  Christ  Jesus  ?  He  cannot  then  break  his 
word.  None  who  have  trusted  him  have  repented 
of  it.  Oh,  sir,  I  dare  not  complain.  My  affliction 
is  a  mercy." 

Troubled  and  afflicted  Christian,  remember,  the 
troubles  of  earth  will  enhance  the  joys  of  heaven. 
And,  compared  with  that  weight  of  glory  which  is 
prepared  for  you  above,  are  not  your  sorrows  light  ? 
Measured  by  the  eternity  of  the  happiness  you  an- 

41 


322  FEARING  HOME. 

ticipate,  is  not  their  duration  that  of  a  moment? 
Murmur  not  at  the  present;  think  of  the  future. 
How  striking  the  contrast!  how  glorious  the  change! 

uThe  gloom  of  the  night  adds  a  charm  to  the  morn ; 

Stern  winter  the  spring-time  endears ; 
And  the  darker  the  clouds  on  which  it  is  drawn, 

The  brighter  the  rainbow  appears ; 
So  trials  and  sorrows  the  Christian  prepare 

For  the  rest  that  remaineth  above; 
On  earth  tribulation  awaits  him,  but  there 

The  smile  of  unchangeable  love." 

11  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out" 
John  vi.  37. 

During  his  last  hours  a  highly  distinguished  writer 
called  for  his  chaplain  and  said,  "  Though  I  have  en- 
deavoured to  avoid  sin  and  please  God  to  the  utmost 
of  my  power,  yet  I  am  still  afraid  to  die." 

"  My  lord,"  said  the  chaplain,  "you  have  forgotten 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  a  Saviour." 

"True,"  was  the  answer;  "but  how  shall  I  know 
that  he  is  a  Saviour  for  me  ?" 

"  It  is  written,  my  lord, '  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I 
will  in  no  wise  cast  out.'  " 

"Yes,  it  is !"  was  the  quick  reply ;  "  and  I  am  sur- 
prised that  though  I  have  read  that  Scripture  a  thou- 
sand times  over,  I  never  felt  its  virtue  till  this  mo- 
ment ;  and  now  I  die  happy." 


WORDS  IN  SEASON.  323 

Reader,  are  you  coming  to  the  Saviour?  Then 
this  promise  is  yours. 

"Jesus,  the  sinner's  friend,  to  thee, 
Lost  and  undone,  for  aid  I  flee ; 
Ah,  wherefore  did  I  ever  doubt? 
Thou  wilt  in  no  wise  cast  me  out. ' ' 

"  When  a  few  years  are  come,  then  I  shall  go  the  way 
whence  I  shall  not  return."  Job  xvi.  22. 

An  approaching  journey  lies  before  me.  I  have 
to  pass  from  time  to  eternity;  from  this  world  to  the 
next.  And  the  time  of  my  departure,  although  to 
me  uncertain,  cannot  be  very  far  distant.  A  few 
years — perhaps  a  few  days — will  close  my  stay  on 
earth. 

It  is  an  unavoidable  journey.  I  must  go.  There 
is  no  choice.  Willing  or  unwilling,  when  the  sum- 
mons for  me  arrives,  I  shall  have  to  set  off. 

It  is  an  unknown  journey.  I  have  never  taken  it 
before.  I  have  no  practical  acquaintance  with  the 
road,  the  mode  of  transit,  the  dangers  or  the  discom- 
forts which  await  me.  And  there  is  no  one  who  can 
clearly  explain  them  to  me.  Those  of  my  friends 
who  have  travelled  that  way  have  never  come  back 
to  relate  their  experience. 

It  is  a  solitary  journey.  I  must  accomplish  it 
alone.     The  most  loved  of  my  present  companions 


324  FEARING  HOME. 

cannot  accompany  me.  They  may  think  of  me,  feel 
for  me,  pray  for  me,  but  they  cannot  be  with  me. 
We  must  separate ;  they  to  remain  behind,  I  to  go 
forward. 

It  is  a  momentous  journey.  For  at  its  termination 
I  enter  upon  my  everlasting  destiny.  It  will  convey 
me  either  to  the  mansions  of  happiness  or  to  the 
abodes  of  misery.  The  narrow  boundary  between 
the  present  and  the  future  state  once  crossed,  there 
will  be  no  possibility  of  change.  "  He  that  is  unjust, 
let  him  be  unjust  still ;  and  he  that  is  righteous,  let 
him  be  righteous  still."  Rev.  xxii.  11. 

It  is  a  final  journey.  I  shall  go  the  way  whence  I 
shall  not  return.  My  pilgrimage  will  be  for  ever 
ended.  INo  more  parting,  no  more  change,  no  more 
toil,  no  more  fatigue.     It  will  be  my  last  journey. 

And  if  I  am  a  Christian  how  welcome  is  this  fact ! 
I  shall  have  done  for  ever  with  sin  and  sorrow. 
Eternal  felicity  will  be  mine — perfect  holiness,  per- 
fect happiness.  This  journey  leads  me  to  my  home, 
to  my  father's  house,  to  my  everlasting  rest. 

Then  I  will  not  shrink  from  its  approach,  nor  com- 
plain of  its  accompaniments.  It  may  be  linked  with 
much  that  is  painful  and  unpleasant,  but  it  is  the 
only  way  home  ;  and  therefore,  although  life  has  many 
ties  and  many  joys,  I  feel  an  earnest  desire  to  depart 


WORDS  IN  SEASON.  325 

and  be  with  Christ,  which  is  far  better  than  being 
here. 

Death  is  a  solemn  journey,  but  it  is  a  safe  one  to 
Christ's  people ;  for  he  will  not  only  receive  and  wel- 
come them  at  its  close,  but  he  will  be  them  as  they 
are  passing  through  it.  Oh,  it  will  not  be  lonely 
with  him  !  And  he  is  a  guide  who  is  well  acquainted 
with  the  way,  for  he  has  trodden  it  himself,  and  the 
marks  of  his  footsteps  are  visible  there  still.  He 
went  for  the  purpose  of  smoothing  its  difficulties, 
clearing  its  dangers,  dispersing  its  terrors ;  and  he 
fully  accomplished  his  purpose :  "  That  through  .death 
he  might  destroy  him  that  had  the  power  of  death, 
that  is,  the  devil ;  and  deliver  them  who  through  fear 
of  death  were  all  their  lifetime  subject  to  bondage."* 
Therefore  when  I  walk  through  the  dark  valley,  I 
will  fear  no  evil ;  for  thou,  0  Jesus,  wilt  be  with  me, 
and  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  shall  comfort  me. 

"  The  spirit  shall  return  unto  God  who  gave  it" 
Eccles.  xii.  7. 

Not  to  a  stranger,  not  to  an  unknown,  untried 
master  ;  but  to  Him  who  has  preserved  and  watched 
over  it  from  year  to  year ;  to  him  who  knows  its 
struggles,  its  anxieties,  its  throbbings  of  hope  and 
fear;  to  its  own  God,  even  the  "God  who  gave  it;" 
*  Heb.  ii.  14,  15. 


326  HEARING  HOME. 

nay,  more,  who  gave  for  it  his  only  and  well-beloved 
Son.  Therefore,  Christian  reader,  you  need  not  fear 
to  depart,  Does  the  child  dread  to  return  home,  to 
go  back  to  its  loving  parents  ?  Oh,  happy  moment ! 
when  you  shall  be  admitted  into  your  heavenly  Fa- 
ther's presence,  and  shall  share  in  those  pleasures 
which  are  at  his  right  hand  for  evermore! 

"Away,  thou  dying  saint,  away! 
Fly  to  the  mansions  of  the  blest; 
Thy  God  no  more  requires  thy  stay; 
He  calls  thee  to  eternal  rest. 

"Thy  toils,  at  length,  have  reached  a  close; 
No  more  remains  for  thee  to  do ; 
Away,  away  to  thy  repose, 
Beyond  the  reach  of  sin  and  woe. 

"Away  to  yonder  realms  of  light, 

Where  multitudes  redeemed  with  blood 
Enjoy  the  beatific  sight, 
And  dwell  for  ever  with  their  God." 


Ope  ffiwristiatt's  wOft* 

FROM  THE  GERMAN. 

Dear  Saviour,  when  I  here  am  blest 
With  prospect  of  that  future  rest 

Thy  people  shall  inherit, 
And  there,  by  faith,  see  my  abode ; — 
How  light  my  cares ! — and  all  their  load — 

How  easy  'tis  to  bear  it ! 
Then,  too,  the  fond  pursuits  of  earth 
Are  in  my  view  as  nothing  worth ; — 
Chased  by  the  dawn  of  endless  day, 
Its  glories  pass  like  dreams  away. 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  sure  ground  of  faith, 
All  this  is  owing  to  thy  death. 

When  called  the  change  of  worlds  to  make 
My  soul  shall  from  its  fetters  break — 

Thou,  from  on  high,  be  near  me ! 
Thy  rod  and  staff  be  then  my  stay — 
Through  Death's  dark  valley  guide  my  way,- 

With  hopes  of  glory  cheer  me ! 

*  Translated  bj  Dr.  Mills. 

327 


328  NEABINQ  HOME. 

The  splendours  of  the  world  of  light, 
Amid  the  all-surrounding  night, 
Shall  through  the  clouds  of  darkness  shine, 
Revealing  what  shall  soon  be  mine. 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with  cheerful  faith, 
I  then  shall  sweetly  sleep  in  death. 

But  should  my  heart,  reluctant,  shrink, 
The  cup  of  Death  still  fear  to  drink, 

My  sins  begin  to  number ; 
*  Then  come  the  thought — "My  Lord  has  died. 
My  sins — atoning  blood  shall  hide, 

Nor  God  will  more  remember !" 
The  hope,  for  sinners  thou  hast  wrought, 
Of  life, — with  nameless  sorrows  bought, 
Which,  God-forsaken,  thou  didst  meet, — 
'Tis  this  alone  makes  dying  sweet. 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  my  only  faith, 
Do  not  forsake  me  at  my  death ! 

In  hope  my  weeping  eyes  I'll  close, 
My  flesh  in  earth  shall  find  repose, 

Where  my  Redeemer  rested  : 
And  he  that  died,  from  death  to  save, — 
His  voice  will  call  me  from  the  grave, — 

I  know  whom  I  have  trusted. 


THE  CHRISTIAN'S  HOPE.  329 

He  lives ! — and  foes  I  feared  below, — 


The  Grave  and  Death — his  power  shall  know ; 
He  lives ! — and  I,  with  saints  above, 
Shall  know  the  wonders  of  his  love. 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  my  spirit's  faith, 
For  life  prepare  me  by  my  death ! 

My  confidence  shalt  thou  remain 
Till  thou  on  earth  appear  again — 

The  tombs  be  rent  asunder : 
Before  thy  throne  I  there  shall  be, 
The  Judge  of  all  the  nations  see — 

Shall  see  with  joy  and  wonder. 
Then  will  thy  grace  to  me  divide 
A  portion  always  to  abide, 
And  I  shall  share,  by  promise  shown, 
A  glory  lasting  as  thy  own. 
Thanks,  Lord,  to  thee ! — with  shouts  I'll  sing, 
"Where,  Grave,  thy  victory? — Death,  thy  sting?" 

42 


jpe  |hrge  of  Mift. 

PHILIP    DODDRIDGE,    D.  D. 

While  on  the  verge  of  life  I  stand, 
And  view  the  scenes  on  either  hand, 
My  spirit  struggles  with  its  clay, 
And  longs  to  wing  its  flight  away. 

Where  Jesus  dwells  my  soul  would  be, 
It  faints  my  much-loved  Lord  to  see ; 
Earth,  twine  no  more  about  my  heart, 
For  'tis  far  better  to  depart. 

Come,  ye  angelic  envoys,  come, 
And  lead  the  willing  pilgrim  home ; 
Ye  know  the  way  to  Jesus'  throne, 
Source  of  my  joys  and  of  your  own. 

That  blessed  interview  how  sweet, 
To  fall  transported  at  his  feet ; 
Raised  in  his  arms,  to  view  his  face, 
Through  the  full  beamings  of  his  grace. 

530 


THE   VERGE  OF  LIFE.  331 

To  see  heaven's  shining  courtiers  round, 
Each  with  immortal  glories  crowned ; 
And,  while  his  form  in  each  I  trace, 
Beloved  and  loving  all  to  embrace. 

As  with  a  seraph's  voice  to  sing : 
To  fly  as  on  a  cherub's  wing ; 
Performing,  with  unwearied  hands, 
A  present  Saviour's  high  commands ! 

Yet,  with  these  prospects  full  in  sight, 
I'll  wait  thy  signal  for  my  flight ; 
For,  while  thy  service  I  pursue, 
I  find  my  heaven  begun  below, 


HORATIUS    BONAR.    D.  D. 

No  shadows  yonder ! 

All  light  and  song  ; 
Each  day  I  wonder, 

And  say  how  long- 
Shall  time  me  sunder 

From  that  dear  throng  ? 


S32 


No  weeping  yonder ! 

All  fled  away ; 
While  here  I  Wander 

Each  weary  day, 
And  sigh  as  I  ponder, 

My  long,  long  stay. 

No  partings  yonder ! 

Time  and  space  never 
Again  shall  sunder ; 

Hearts  cannot  sever ; 
Dearer  and  fonder, 

Hands  clasp  for  ever. 


YONDER.  333 

None  wanting,  yonder ! 

Bought  by  the  Lamb ! 
All  gathered  under 

The  evergreen  palm ; 
L  >ud  as  night's  thunder 

Ascends  the  glad  psalm. 


oo  fflir  to  \t  ftsefuL 


ANONYMOUS. 


"  Well,  it  is  a  pleasant  sight  to  see  young  people 
actively  engaged  in  doing  good !"  said  an  old  lady,  as 
she  watched  from  her  parlour  window  some  of  her 
grand-children  setting  forth  on  their  weekly  errands 
of  mercy  to  the  poor  and  afflicted. 

Yes ;  it  ivas  a  pleasant  sight  to  look  upon  these 
youthful  Christians,  full  of  health  and  energy,  devot- 
ing their  time  and  their  talents  to  the  service  of  God 
and  the  welfare  of  their  fellow-creatures ;  and  vet 
the  old  lady  sighed  as  she  finished  her  sentence,  and 
did  not  seem  quite  comfortable.  Why  ?  Listen  to 
what  she  is  saying  now : 

"Ah,  /  was  once  as  busy  as  any  of  them.  I  could 
take  a  class  in  the  Sunday-school,  and  visit  the  poor, 
and  collect  for  the  missionary  society ;  but  now  I  am 
forced  to  be  idle  and  useless.  My  strength  and  my 
senses  are  gradually  forsaking  me ;  and  I  am  but  a 
worn-out  and  unprofitable  servant.  But  come,  I 
must  not  complain ;  I  have  had  my  share  in  these 


334 


TOO   OLD  TO  BE  USEFUL.  335 

good  works  in  bygone  days,  and  I  must  be  content 
to  lie  by  now  and  let  others  labour ;  for  I  am  too  old 
to  be  of  any  use." 

Was  the  old  lady  right?  She  meant  what  she 
said,  and  she  meant  well.  She  was  trying  to  bear 
with  patience  and  resignation  her  unavoidable  exclu- 
sion from  the  charitable  engagements  of  her  young 
relatives ;  but  old  people  as  well  as  young  sometimes 
have  mistaken  ideas ;  and  it  is  possible  that  the  old 
lady  was  not  quite  so  clear  upon  the  subject  of  Chris- 
tian usefulness  as  we  should  like  our  readers  to  be. 

It  is  true  that  the  aged  cannot  work  in  God's  vine- 
yard as  they  used  to  do  before  infirmity  or  ill-health 
disabled  them  for  active  service,  but  still  they  are 
not  too  old  to  be  useful. 

Too  old  to  be  useful !  Such  words  are  a  libel  upon 
their  characters — an  insult  to  their  capabilities.  It 
cannot  be  that  any  Christian  is  continued  upon 
earth  who  has  not  something  to  do  as  well  as  to  suf- 
fer for  his  Master.  Look  at  the  closing  days  of  the 
venerable  Eliot,  the  first  missionary  to  the  American 
Indians.  On  the  day  of  his  death,  when  in  his 
eightieth  year,  he  was  found  teaching  the  alphabet  to 
an  Indian  child  at  his  bedside.  "Why  not  rest  from 
your  labours,  now?"  said  a  friend.  "Because,"  said 
the  venerable  man,  "  I  have  prayed  to  God  to  make 


336  NEARING  HOME. 

me  useful  in  my  sphere,  and  he  has  heard  my 
prayer;  for  now,  that  I  can  no  longer  preach,  he 
leaves  me  strength  enough  to  teach  this  poor  child 
this  alphabet." 

Eighty  years  of  age  and  bed-ridden !  Who  after 
this  can  plead  their  inability  to  do  good  ?  Who  will 
not  rather  gather  up  their  remaining  time  and  talents 
and  devote  them  to  God's  service?  Like  the  widow's 
mite,  your  offering  may  seem  poor  and  small ;  you 
are  almost  ashamed  to  cast  it  into  the  treasury ;  but 
bring  it  without  hesitation — nay  with  gladness.  What 
could  give  you  more?  it  is  your  all ;  and  your  feeble 
efforts  will  meet  with  kind  and  gracious  acknow- 
ledgment from  a  loving  Saviour,  who  said,  "She  hath 
done  what  she  could  !"* 

Oh,  it  is  so  delightful  to  labour  for  Christ  that  the 
true-hearted  Christian  would  fain  keep  on  as  Eliot 
did  to  the  last.  The  late  Rev.  John  Campbell,  of 
Kingsland,  went  one  morning  to  attend  an  early 
committee  meeting  of  a  religious  society.  On  his 
way  up-stairs  he  found  an  old  friend,  remarkable  for 
his  devotedness  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  leaning  on 
the  balustrade  which  led  to  the  room,  and  unable  to 
proceed  from  a  difficulty  of  breathing. 

"What!  are  you  here,  Mr.  T ?     How  could 

*  Mark  xiv.  8. 


TOO    OLD   TO  BE    USEFUL.  337 

you  venture  in  your  state  of  health?  You  have 
attended  our  meetings  for  a  long  time,  and  you 
should  now  leave  the  work  for  younger  men." 

His  friend  looked  up  with  a  cheerful  smile,  and 
replied,  with  characteristic  energy,  "  Oh,  Johnny, 
Johnny,  man,  it  is  hard  to  give  up  working  in  the 
service  of  such  a  Master." 

How  cheering  then  is  the  thought  that  the  aged 
have  still  opportunities  of  usefulness  afforded  them ! 
Suppose  we  remind  our  readers  of  a  few  ways  in 
which  they  have  it  in  their  power  to  benefit  others. 

Well,  some  of  you,  perhaps,  who  cannot  walk 
about  and  visit  your  neighbours,  might  send  them  a 
little  tract  and  book  occasionally.  A  person  dies  in 
your  street — a  child  is  born  in  the  next  house — a 
worldly  family  opposite  are  in  trouble — a  gentleman 
has  met  with  an  accident — a  grocer's  shop  is  open  on 
the  Sunday ; — all  these,  and  many  others,  are  occa- 
sions when  "a  little  messenger  of  mercy"  might 
speak  "  a  word  in  season."  Listen  to  the  following 
fact: 

A  man  who  was  keeper  of  one  of  the  locks  on  the 
Grand  Junction  Canal  lived  for  many  years  appa- 
rently without  any  religious  feelings.  He  possessed 
much  personal  kindness,  and  had  been  the  means  of 
saving  at  least  twelve  persons  from  a  watery  grave, 

43 


338  NEARING  HOME. 

some  of  whom  had  plunged  into  the  stream  in  sea- 
sons of  frantic  sorrow.  In  the  summer  of  1841 
poor  Matthew  met  with  a  severe  accident,  and  was 
removed  to  the  London  Hospital.  After  he  had 
been  there  a  few  days,  he  received  a  letter  by  post — 
of  which  the  following  is  a  copy — enclosing  a  tract 
entitled  "To-day:" 

"  You  have  suffered  greatly,  my  friend  ;  your  poor 
body  calls  for  help  and  sympathy,  and  in  the  hos- 
pital you  are  mercifully  attended  to,  as  you  could  not 
be  at  home.  How  is  it  with  your  precious  soul  ? 
Are  you  fit  to  die  ?  Had  your  sufferings  caused  in- 
stant death,  where  would  your  soul  have  been? 
Where,  my  friend?  Where  ?  In  heaven,  or  in  hell? 
Do  think  of  this  inquiry,  and  read  the  tract  I  en- 
close, or  get  some  one  to  read  it  to  you.  Do  not 
neglect  this  friendly  warning,  but  attend  to  it  while 
it  is  yet  with  you  called  '  To-day.'  Oh  !  what  a  mercy 
you  were  spared  yet  a  little  longer  !  May  it  be  for  the 
salvation  of  your  precious  soul.  The  Lord  Jesus  is 
able  and  willing  to  save  all  who  feel  their  need  of  his 
salvation.  Pray,  then,  afflicted  friend,  for  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  show  you  your  need  of  mercy,  and  of  the 
precious  blood  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  cleanse 
you  from  your  sins,  and  to  obtain  your  acceptance 
with  God.     This  tract  was  written  by  a  gentleman 


TOO   OLD  TO  BE   USEFUL.  339 

seventy  years  old.  May  the  Lord  make  it  a  blessing 
to  your  soul.  He  is  able  and  willing  to  save  you 
from  going  to  hell,  and  willing  to  prepare  you  for 
the  holiness  and  happiness  of  heaven. — Farewell." 

There  was  no  signature  to  the  letter ;  it  bore  the 
"  Stroud  water"  postmark,  but  Matthew  knew  no  one 
residing  there.  However,  the  perusal  of  the  letter 
induced  him  to  read  the  tract ;  the  Holy  Spirit 
blessed  it  to  his  conversion  ;  and  he  became  a  con- 
sistent Christian.  He  wished  very  much  that  he 
could  find  out  who  had  sent  him  the  tract ;  and  a 
kind  friend  to  whom  this  interesting  fact  was  men- 
tioned thought  that  he  knew  the  person  from  whom 
it  came.  He  wrote  accordingly,  and  received  the 
following  note,  which  proved  that  his  conjecture  was 
right : 

"  My  dear  sir :  It  was  in  hours  of  weakness,  and 
during  a  long  detention  from  the  house  of  the  Lord, 
that  I  was  directed  one  Sabbath-day  to  write  the 
letter  to  which  you  refer,  to  poor  Matthew.  It  used 
to  be  a  saying  with  myself,  to  myself,  on  doing  any 
such  thing,  '  Well,  I  have  cast  one  grain  more  of 
the  good  seed  of  the  kingdom  into  the  field  of  the 
world — that  world  which  still  lieth  in  wickedness.' 
I  bless  the  Lord  he  permitted  me  to  cast  in  that 
grain,  and  I  praise  him  still  more  that  he  caused  it 


340  NEARING  HOME. 

to  germinate  and  bring  forth  fruit.  G  lory  be  to  his 
holy  name  that  he  has  seen  fit  to  glorify  the  riches 
of  his  grace  in  the  salvation  of  a  soul  by  means  in 
themselves  so  weak  and  poor.  When  I  received  the 
supply  from  London,  of  which  that  tract  formed  one, 
I  selected  a  number  of  that  description  for  the  pur- 
pose of  enclosing  in  letters  (now  in  these  days  of 
penny-postage  blessedness,  in  which  in  almost  every 
letter  we  write  we  can  proclaim  the  glad  tidings  of 
mercy,  by  inserting  an  eight-paged  tract) — and  among 
others,  poor  Matthew  received  one.  Surely  it  would 
have  been  a  shorter  journey  from  Paternoster  Row 
to  the  London  Hospital ;  but  in  this  case  it  seemed 
needful  that  it  should  go  from  London  to  the  coun- 
try, and  back  again  to  town,  to  reach  the  object  for 
which  it  was  designed.  Several  other  such  grains 
have  been  cast  into  the  field  of  the  world.  Oh,  that 
it  may  please  the  Lord  to  cause  them  to  be  fruitful 
also!" 

Now,  reader,  let  the  example  of  this  pious  invalid 
win  you  in  some  measure  to  follow  it.  It  does  not, 
you  see,  require  much  money,  much  talent,  much  in- 
fluence, or  much  strength  to  be  useful.  A  few  kind 
words  written,  or  a  good  tract  enclosed  to  an  ac- 
quaintance or  even  to  a  stranger,  may  be  the  ap- 
pointed channel  through  which  God's  grace  shall  flow 


TOO   OLD   TO  BE   USEFUL.  341 

into  their  seals.  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters  : 
for  thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days."* 

Then  there  is  the  influence  which  you  may  exert 
over  children  and  young  persons.  Wot  by  fault-find- 
ing, or  selfish  requirements,  or  sarcastic  observations  ; 
but  by  kind  words,  persuasive  advice,  and  affectionate 
treatment.  Your  little  grand-children,  or  your  elder 
nephews  and  nieces,  as  they  cluster  round  your  cheer- 
ful fireside,  may  drink  in  many  a  gentle  lesson  which 
shall  guide  them  in  after  years.  If  you  have  not 
any  youthful  relatives,  you  can  cultivate  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  children  of  your  friends  and  neighbours. 
It  is  a  lovely  sight  to  see  age  and  youth  sweetly 
blending  together — age  tempering  the  gayety  of  youth, 
and  youth  brightening  the  gravity  of  age.  The  ivy 
adorns  the  oak,  and  the  oak  supports  the  ivy.  "  But 
young  people,"  you  may  say,  "  are  so  self-willed  and 
conceited ;  they  think  they  are  as  wise  as  old  folks." 
It  is  often  too  true,  but  bear  with  them  ;  we  have  all 
been  young  in  our  time ;  and  it  is  astonishing  how 
grateful  even  the  most  independent  among  them  are 
for  a  real  and  warm-hearted  interest  in  their  welfare. 
You  may  influence  them  strongly,  if  you  are  only 
kind  in  purpose  and  judicious  in  practice. 

Sympathize  with  them  in  their  joys  and  their  sor- 
*  Eccles.  xi.  1 . 


342  NEARING  HOME. 

rows.  Show  them  that  increase  of  years  does  not 
necessarily  blunt  the  feelings  or  narrow  the  affec- 
tions ;  that  the  pilgrim  who  has  almost  reached  his 
welcome  and  long-expected  resting-place  does  not 
forget  or  despise  those  who  have  but  lately  set  out  on 
their  toilsome  journey.  Speak  to  them  of  your  own 
experience  of  actual  life ;  of  the  mental  and  moral 
discipline  which  you  have  endured  ;  of  the  difficulties 
in  the  path  of  duty  which  you  have  met  and  con- 
quered ;  of  the  comfort  which  has  sustained  you  in 
the  hour  of  trial  and  bereavement.  Simple  facts  are 
more  impressive  than  mere  advice.  Quietly  but 
deeply  they  sink  into  the  memory,  arousing  no  op- 
position, exciting  no  argument ;  in  time  of  need  they 
will  be  remembered  and  turned  to  good  account. 
You  may  thus  be  the  honoured  instrument  of  guid- 
ing some  wayward  and  careless  heart  to  true  peace 
and  happiness ;  of  imparting  right  principles  which 
shall  steer  some  perplexed  spirit  across  the  rough 
sea  of  temptation ;  of  forming  the  character  of  those 
who  are  destined  in  coming  years  to  exercise  great 
moral  power  over  their  fellow-creatures.  You  may 
not — you  will  not — live  to  behold  those  happy  results 
of  your  patient  and  prayerful  efforts  ;  but  when  those 
who  die  in  the  Lord  rest  from  their  labours,  their 
works  follow  them.     An  aged  man  carefully  planted 


TOO   OLD   TO  BE    USEFUL.  343 

several  fruit-trees  in  his  garden,  that  they  might  grow 
up  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  posterity ;  so  may  you 
cast  into  human  hearts  that  precious  seed  which  will 
germinate  and  spring  forth  and  bless  the  world  long 
after  you  have  departed  to  your  rest.  The  destiny 
of  future  generations  may  be  linked  with  your 
Christian  endeavour  to  gather  one  youthful  friend 
into  the  fold  of  the  Saviour.  God  grant  that  you 
may  fully  appreciate  and  fulfil  your  peculiar  mission 
to  the  young. 

But  perhaps  the  best  way  in  which  the  aged  Chris- 
tian— aye,  and  any  Christian — can  benefit  others  is 
by  the  purity  and  loveliness  of  his  example.  You 
cannot  now  do  much  or  say  much  for  the  good  of 
your  fellow-creatures;  but  "nothing  speaks  so  loudly 
as  the  silent  eloquence  of  a  holy  and  consistent  life;" 
nothing  exercises  such  gentle  and  yet  such  powerful 
influence  over  the  mind  as  the  example  of  one  whom 
we  love  and  respect.  It  is  a  practical  and  perpetual 
sermon. 

Look  into  that  quiet  and  half-darkened  room.  In 
the  large  easy-chair  sits  an  aged  lady.  She  is  con- 
fined by  constant  indisposition  to  her  house — to  her 
apartment ;  nay,  even  to  her  chair,  for  she  cannot 
move  herself  without  assistance.  Her  friends  are 
forbidden  to  see  her,  as  the  least  excitement  proves 


344  NEARTXG  HOME. 

injurious;  and  therefore  a  skilful  nurse  and  a  loving- 
hearted  daughter  are  her  only  associates.  But  she 
does  not  wish  for  society ;  incessant  pain  renders  her 
unable  to  converse  much,  and  the  exertion  of  speak- 
ing but  a  few  words  fatigues  her  sadly.  Poor  lady ! 
the  days  have  indeed  come  in  which  she  has  no 
pleasure ;  the  grasshopper  is  become  a  burden ;  desire 
has  failed ;  and  fears  are  in  the  way.  Her  life  has 
been  a  life  full  of  good  works  ;  and  now,  withdrawn 
for  ever  from  her  loved  occupations,  she  must  solace 
herself  with  the  beautiful  thought, 

'"  They  also  serve  who  only  stand  and  wait." 

It  is  a  beautiful  thought ;  she  knows  its  truth ;  she 
feels  its  preciousness  ;  her  daily,  constant  prayer  is, 
"  Thy  will  be  done."  Yet  you  must  not  imagine 
that  her  career  of  usefulness  lias  ended — that  it  found 
its  termination  in  that  sick 'room*.  Xo ;  in  that 
limited  sphere,  during  that  lingering  illness,  she  has, 
perhaps,  done  more  good  than  you  or  I  have  effected 
in  our  lifetime.  How  ?  That  kind  servant  who 
waits  upon  her  has  lately  grown  thoughtful  and 
pious,  and  she  traces  the  happy  change  in  her  views 
and  in  her  feelings  1"  tin*  sweet  example  of  her  dear 
mistress;  not  t  >  her  counsels,  not  to  her  persuasions, 
but  to  her  ox  imple.     She   witnessed   her   patience, 


TOO   OLD   TO  BE   USEFUL.  345 

her  fortitude,  her  serenity,  her  faith  in  Christ,  her 
readiness  to  depart ;  and  she  felt  how  valuable  that 
religion  must  be  which  could  give  such  peace  in  life, 
such  hope  in  death.  She  determined,  with  God's 
help,  to  make  that  religion  her  own  ;  and  now  her 
mistress's  last  hours  are  cheered  by  the  delightful 
knowledge  that  her  grateful  attendant  has  chosen 
that  good  part  which  shall  not  be  taken  away  from 
her. 

Glance  now  inside  that  lowly  almshouse.  There 
dwells  a  venerable  man  whose  snow-white  locks, 
bended  frame,  and  tottering  steps  are  plain  indica- 
tions that  his  physical  energies  are  rapidly  declining. 
Is  he  too  old  or  too  infirm  to  be  useful  ?  Almost, 
so  far  as  active  service  is  concerned,  for  he  is  both 
palsied  and  half  blind ;  but  the  light  of  his  example 
shines  brightly  still,  and  sheds  a  holy  radiance  on 
all  who  come  within  its  reach.  His  upright  conduct, 
his  cheerful  demeanour,  his  kind  feelings,  and  his 
heaven-like  spirit  are  perpetual  living  lessons  to  his 
neighbours  and  friends.  More  than  one  thoughtless 
visitor  has  left  his  humble  abode  with  the  impression, 
"  Well,  there  is  such  a  thing  as  real,  religion  ;  I  wish 
I  were  as  good  and  as  happy  as  that  old  man  is." 
And  many  wavering  or  weary  Christians  have  been 
strengthened  for  their  earnest  conflict  through  the 

44 


346  NEARING  HLME. 

remembrance  of  the  simple  faitli  and  devotedness  of 
this  aged  servant  of  God. 

Does  your  life,  your  example,  thus  influence  others 
for  good?  Are  you  an  epistle  known  and  read  of  all 
men?  Does  your  character  and  conduct  commend 
the  religion  of  Christ?  Is  it  your  daily  endeavour 
to  "  adorn"  as  well  as  profess  the  doctrine  of  God 
your  Saviour  ?  Every  Christian  should  look  well  to 
his  example ;  it  effects  far  more  than  his  words,  how- 
ever well-chosen  and  well-expressed  those  words  may 
be.*  But  especially  should  the  aged  believer  be  care- 
ful to  let  his  light  shine  brightly  and  steadily  before 
men,  because  his  sphere  of  usefulness  being  limited, 
he  should  make  the  most  of  those  means  which  are 
still  within  his  reach  ;  and  because  soon,  very  soon, 
"  the  night  cometh,"  and  then  his  opportunities  on 
earth  will  be  closed  for  ever. 

There  is  one  other  way  that  we  must  not  overlook 
in  which  the  ao-ed  Christian  may  advance  Christ's 
kingdom  in  the  world,  and  that  way  is  intercessory 
prayer.  Weak  and  infirm,  you  may  be  unable  to 
converse  about  religion ;  poor,  perhaps,  in  this 
world's  riches,  it  .is  not  in  your  power  to  relieve  the 
wants  of  the  needy ;  but  amidst  your  feebleness  and 
your  poverty  you  can  shut  your  door  and  pray  to 
your  Father  who  seeth  in  secret.     You  can  implore 


TOO    OLD   TO  BE    USEFUL.  347 

his  succour  for  the  distressed ;  his  sympathy  for  the 
sorrowful ;  his  aid  for  the  helpless ;  his  instruction 
for  the  ignorant ;  his  pardon  for  the  sinful ;  his  grace 
for  the  undeserving.  You  can  plead  with  him  on 
behalf  of  the  heathen  at  home  and  the  heathen 
abroad.  You  can  supplicate  his  blessing  both  for 
the  queen  upon  her  throne  and  the  peasant  in  his 
cottage.  You  can  beseech  him  to  guide  into  the  way 
of  truth  those  who  have  erred  and  are  deceived,  and 
to  have  mercy  upon  all  men.  Abraham  interceded 
for  Sodom ;  Job  for  his  children ;  Moses  for  the 
Israelites  ;  Jacob  for  his  grandsons  ;  the  disciples  for 
their  persecuted  brethren  ;  the  apostle  for  his  beloved 
converts.  Catch  their  spirit ;  follow  in  their  steps ; 
add  to  their  success.  "  The  effectual,  fervent  prayer 
of  a  righteous  man  availeth  much."*  It  is  impos- 
sible to  tell  how  richly  the  healthful  dew  of  God's 
grace  may  rest  upon  parched  and  barren  hearts ;  or 
how  appropriately  the  gifts  of  his  providence  may 
be  vouchsafed  to  the  abodes  of  penury  and  want 
through  the  instrumentality  of  those  heartfelt  peti- 
tions which  you  oifer  at  the  throne  of  grace.  Eter- 
nity alone  will  fully  disclose  the  blessings  which  have 
been  linked  with  intercessory  prayer. 

Aged  Christian!  mourn  not  that  your  opportuni- 

*  James  v.  16. 


348  NEARIXG  HOME. 

ties  of  usefulness  are  so  few ;  rather  rejoice  that  you 
are  still  permitted  to  have  a  place  among  the  labour 
ers  in  Christ's  vineyard.  Your  department  is  a 
retired  one ;  your  employment  is  easy ;  but  your 
path  is  marked  out  for  you  by  the  Master  whom  you 
serve.  In  wise  considerateness  he  appoints  to  each 
labourer  his  position  and  his  duties ;  and  to  all  who 
honestly  perform  the  work  which  he  assigns — be  it 
great  or  be  it  small — he  will  address  those  gracious 
words  of  commendation,  "Well  done,  good  and  faith- 
ful servant : — enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord."* 

Yet  you  cannot  but  sigh  sometimes  when  you 
reflect  how  little  you  are  really  able  to  do  for  the 
honour  of  God  and  the  good  of  your  fellow- men ; 
your  best  services  are  so  imperfect,  your  holiest 
efforts  are  so  defiled.  As  life  advances  you  grow 
better  acquainted  with  your  own  motives,  and  more 
enlightened  respecting  God's  character  and  will ;  and 
the  inevitable  result  is  that  you  are  humbled  under 
the  increasing  consciousness  of  your  sinfulness  and 
your  failures.  Oh  if  you  could  but  serve  God  as  you 
desire  to  do !  How  unwearied,  how  unselfish,  how 
unlimited  would  be  your  joyful  obedience  ! 

Wait  awhile,  and  your  longings  shall  be  satisfied. 
In  heaven  there  will  be  no  feebleness  to  retard  your 

*  Matt,  xxv.  23. 


TOO   OLD  TO  BE  USEFUL.  349 

efforts,  no  imperfection  to  sully  your  actions.  "His 
servants  shall  serve  him."*  Without  one  difficulty 
or  defect  they  shall  fulfil  his  varied  behests  and  do 
his  will.  And  as  angels  are  now  ministering  spirits 
for  the  heirs  of  salvation,  it  is  not  improbable  that 
glorified  Christians  will  be  frequently  engaged  on 
some  errand  of  love  to  God's  intelligent  creatures. 
How  welcome  is  this  idea  to  those  who  feel  half  sorry 
when  they  consider  that  their  work  on  earth  is  so 
near  its  close ! 

*  Rev.  xxii.  3. 


f  to  |sc- 

JOHN     WALTON. 

The  seas  are  quiet  when  the  winds  give  o'er ; 
So  calm  are  we  when  passions  are  no  more ; 
For  then  we  know  how  vain  it  was  to  boast 
Of  fleeting  things,  too  certain  to  be  lost. 

Clouds  of  affection  from  our  younger  eyes 
Conceal  that  emptiness  which  age  descries ; 
The  soul's  dark  cottage,  battered  and  decayed, 
Lets  in  new  light  through  chinks  that  time  has  made. 

Stronger  by  weakness,  wiser  men  become 
As  they  draw  near  to  their  eternal  home ; 
Leaving  the  Old,  at  once  both  worlds  they  view 
That  stand  upon  the  threshold  of  the  New. 

350 


ffttllg  mf*- 

ANONYMOUS. 

"Thou  shalt  come  to  thy  grave  in  a  full  age,  like  as  a  shock  of  corn 
cometh  in  his  season." — Job  v.  26. 

Long  standing  in  the  Master's  field, 

Fed  daily  by  his  sun  and  dew, 
Eager  its  best  return  to  yield, 

To  perfect  symmetry  it  grew  : 
The  storm  swept  over  it  in  vain, 

JSTor  frost  could  blight  its  noonday  heat, 
Till,  a  fair  shock  of  golden  grain, 

It  stood  in  perfectness  complete, 

Fully  ripe. 

Men  saw,  and  gave  to  Grod  the  praise, 

Who  smiled  well  pleased,  and  passed  it  by, 
Till  in  these  later  autumn  days 

Its  garner  was  prepared  on  high ; 
Then  came  the  Reaper  down  at  morn, 

Softly  as  feathery  snow-flakes  come, 
To  gather  in  the  golden  corn, 

And  bear  the  precious  harvest  home, 

Fully  ripe. 

351 


352  NEARING  HOME. 

Ah  !  but  the  field  is  brown  and  bare, 

And  heaven's  great  gain  we  grieve  to  lose, 
For  in  our  eyes  'twas  wondrous  fair, 

While  fitting  for  the  Master's  use ; 
And  for  the  place  left  desolate, 

We  needs  must  weep  ;  yet  thanks  be  given, 
The  treasure  that  we  found  so  great 

Was  for  a  better  place  in  heaven, 

Fully  ripe. 


jpt  jpawr  of  Stpstttitrt. 

REV.   JOHN     LOGAN. 

The  hour  of  my  departure's  come, 
I  hear  the  voice  that  calls  me  home ; 
At  last,  0  Lord !  let  trouble  cease, 
And  let  thy  servant  die  in  peace. 

Not  in  mine  innocence  I  trust; 

I  bow  before  thee  in  the  dust ; 

And  through  my  Saviour's  blood  alone 

I  look  for  mercy  at  thy  throne. 

I  leave  the  world  without  a  tear, 
Save  for  the  friends  I  held  so  dear: 
To  heal  their  sorrows,  Lord,  descend, 
And  to  the  friendless  prove  a  friend. 

I  come,  I  come  at  thy  command, 
I  give  my  spirit  to  thy  hand  ; 
Stretch  forth  thine  everlasting  arms, 
And  shield  me  in  the  last  alarms. 

45  353 


354  NEARING  HOME. 

The  hour  of  my  departure's  come, 
I  hear  the  voice  that  calls  me  home ; 
Now,  0  my  God,  let  trouble  cease, 
Now  let  thy  servant  die  in  peace. 


fob)  to  mt  itafielg. 

ARCHIBALD  ALEXANDER,   D.  D. 

Can  we  do  anything  to  render  our  death — which 
cannot  be  far  off — both  safe  and  comfortable  ?  ~No 
doubt,  by  God's  assistance,  Ave  can  do  much  to  ac- 
complish these  desirable  ends,  if  we  will  set  about 
the  work  in  good  earnest. 

I  know  that  there  is  a  feeling  of  despondency 
habitually  existing  in  the  minds  of  some  aged  per- 
sons of  serious  disposition,  which  leads  them  to  con- 
clude that  if  they  are  not  now  prepared  to  die  they 
never  will  be.  And  from  all  the  acquaintance  which 
I  have  had  with  professors  of  religion,  I  am  con- 
strained to  think  that,  as  their  near  approach  to  the 
grave  does  not  increase  their  impressions  of  the 
importance  of  eternal  realities,  so  old  age  has  no 
tendency  to  render  the  evidences  of  their  union  with 
Christ  more  clear  and  satisfactory.  You  may  fre- 
quently inquire  of  a  dozen  such  professors  in  suces- 

356 


356  NEAEINQ  HOME. 

sion  whether  they  have  obtained  a  comfortable  assu- 
rance of  the  goodness  of  their  spiritual  condition, 
and  the  probability  is  that  four  out  of  five,  if  not 
nine  out  of  ten,  will  answer  in  the  negative,  and  will 
express  serious  doubts  whether  they  were  ever  the 
subjects  of  regenerating  grace. 

It  was  not,  I  believe,  always  so  with  those  who 
cordially  received  the  doctrines  of  grace  and  rested 
their  souls  upon  them.  To  say  nothing  about  the 
joyful  confidence  and  assured  hope  of  the  apostles 
and  primitive  Christians,  the  members  of  the  first 
Reformed  Churches  seem  to  have  derived  from  the 
pure  doctrines  of  the  Bible  a  high  degree  of  peace 
and  joy.  The  same  was  the  fact  among  the  pious 
Puritans  of  Old  and  New  England,  and  the  Presby- 
terians of  Scotland  in  the  best  and  purest  days  of 
the  Scottish  Church.  The  question  has  often  occurred, 
why  does  the  belief  of  these  doctrines  afford  less 
comfort  now  than  in  former  times  ?  It  is  not  my 
purpose  at  present  to  attempt  to  account  for  this 
fact.  I  adduce  it  merely  to  show  that  most  profes- 
s<  »rs  among  us  are  not  actually  prepared  for  death. 
Even  if  their  state  should  be  one  of  safety,  they  can- 
not view  their  approaching  end  with  confidence  and 
comfort.  And  whilst  their  evidences  of  genuine 
piety  are  so  dubious,  they  of  course  cannot  know 


HOW  TO  DIE  SAFELY.  357 

that  they  are  in  a  safe  condition.  It  is  then  of  the 
utmost  importance  that  all  professors  of  the  above 
description,  and  especially  the  aged,  should  "be  im- 
portunately urged  "  to  give  diligence  to  make  their 
calling  and  election  sure."  I  am  aware  that  some 
Christians  who  enjoy,  very  comfortable  evidences  of 
being  the  adopted  children  of  God  are  not  willing 
to  profess  that  they  have  arrived  at  full  assurance. 
They  suppose  that  they  who  have  attained  to  this 
high  privilege  are  in  a  state  of  uninterrupted  joy, 
and  that  no  shadow  of  doubt  ever  passes  over  their 
minds.  The  truth  is,  they  do  possess  a  solid  assu- 
rance, although  their  frames  of  mind  are  not  always 
equally  comfortable,  and  although  the  evidence  is 
not  so  great  that  it  cannot  be  increased.  I  recollect, 
when  very  young,  to  have  heard  a  judicious  minister 
conversing  with  an  eminently  pious  old  lady,  who 
had  belonged  to  the  church  under  the  care  of  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Davies,  in  the  county  of  Hanover.  In 
answer  to  some  inquiry  respecting  the  comfort  which 
she  enjoyed  in  the  service  of  her  divine  Master,  she 
said,  after  expressing  lively  feelings  of  faith,  peni- 
tence and  gratitude,  "But,  my  dear  friend,  I  have 
never  yet  attained  to  the  faith  of  assurance ;  all  I  can 
sav  is,  that  I  have  the  faith  of  reliance."  "Well," 
said  the  minister,  "if  you  know  that  you  have  the 


358  BEARING  HOME. 

faith  of  reliance,  that  is  assurance. v  The  degrees  of 
evidence  possessed  by  different  Christians  are  vari- 
ous, from  the  feeblest  hope  up  to  strong  confidence, 
and  the  clearness  of  the  evidence  to  the  same  person 
varies  exceedingly ;  but  in  general  there  seems  to  be 
in  our  Church  a  sad  falling  below  par  in  respect  to 
this  matter.  It  has,  however, ,  often  been  correctly 
observed  that  we  are  not  to  expect  dying  grace  before 
the  dying  hour  arrives.  God  gives  strength  as  we 
need,  it ;  and  when  the  believer  is  called  to  severe 
trials  or  to  difficult  duties,  he  commonly  receives 
aid  proportioned  to  the  urgency  of  his  wants,  and  is 
surprised  to  find  himself  held  up  by  a  power  not  his 
own.  Thus  we  have  often  seen  the  sincere,  humble 
Christian,  who,  during  life,  was  subject  to  bondage 
through  fear  of  death,  triumphing  in  the  dying  hour. 
This  expectation  of  special  aid  ought  to  be  encour- 
aged. It  is,  indeed,  a  part  of  that  preparation  which 
we  should  make ;  and  if  we  confidently  rely  on  the 
great  Shepherd  to  meet  us  and  comfort  us  while 
walking  through  the  valley  and  shadow  of  death,  he 
will  not  disappoint  us. 

But,  in  dealing  with  professors  troubled  with 
doubts,  we  are  too  apt  to  proceed  on  the  assumed 
principle  that,  notwithstanding  their  sad  misgivings 
and  fears,  they  are  at  bottom  sincere  Christians,  and 


HOW  TO  DIE  SAFELY.  359 

have  the  root  of  the  matter  in  them  ;  while  in  regard 
to  many  this  may  be  an  entire  mistake,  and  we  are 
in  danger  of  cherishing  in  them  a  fatal  delusion. 
Here  the  skill  and  fidelity  of  the  spiritual  watchmen 
are  put  to  the  test ;  and  while  they  should  not  devi- 
ate a  hair's-breadth  from  the  rule  of  the  divine  word, 
it  is  better  that  the  pious  Christian  should  suffer 
some  unnecessary  pain  than  that  the  false  professor 
should  be  bolstered  up  with  delusive  hopes.  I  must 
say,  therefore,  that  the  true  reason  why  many  pro- 
fessors have  no  comfortable  evidence  of  their  re- 
ligion is  because  they  have  none.  They  have  never 
experienced  the  new  birth  ;  and  being  still  dead  in 
trespasses  and  sins,  it  is  no  wonder  that  they  cannot 
find  in  themselves  what  does  not  exist.  I  abhor  a 
censorious  spirit,  which,  upon  slight  grounds,  judges 
this  and  that  professor  to  be  graceless ;  but  all  my 
experience  and  observation  lead  me  to  believe  that 
in  our  day,  as  well  as  in  former  times,  the  "  foolish 
virgins"  constitute  a  full  moiety  of  the  visible 
Church. 

What  I  would  urge,  therefore,  on  you  my  aged 
friends,  and  on  myself,  is  a  more  serious,  impartial, 
and  thorough  examination  into  the  foundation  of  our 
hope  of  heaven  than  perhaps  we  have  ever  yet  made. 
Let  us  go  back  to  the  commencement  of  our  religious 


360  FEARING  HOME. 

course,  and  see  whether  in  our  present  more  mature 
judgment  we  can  conclude  that  we  were  then  the 
subjects  of  a  saving  change.  I  do  not  ask  you 
whether  you  had  an  increase  of  serious  feelings,  or 
whether  your  sympathies  were  strongly  excited  and 
experienced  some  change  from  a  state  of  terror  or' 
distress  to  comfort ;  for  all  these  things  may  be  ex- 
perienced, and  have  been  experienced,  by  unregener- 
ate  persons.  Let  us  carefully  inquire  whether  the 
habitual  tenour  of  our  lives  has  been  such  as  to  satisfy 
us  that  a  new  nature  was  received.  If  we  have  fallen 
into  sin,  have  we  deeply  and  sincerely  repented  of  it? 
Have  we  wept  bitterly  for  our  sin,  like  Peter?  or 
have  we  mourned  in  deep  sorrow,  like  David  ?  Xot 
such  repentance  as  some  experience,  who,  after  all 
their  convictions  and  confessions,  return  again  to  the 
same  course  of  iniquity.  But,  after  all  examinations 
of  past  .experience,  the  main  point  is,  What  is  the 
present  habitual  state  of  our  hearts  ?  Do  we  now 
love  God  as  his  character  is  exhibited  in  his  word? 
Do  we  hunger  and  thirst  after  holiness  or  a  complete 
conformity  to  the  law  of  God  ?  Would  we  be  willing 
that  that  law  should  be  relaxed  in  its  demands  to 
afford  us  some  indulgence?  Do  we  seek  our  chief 
happiness  in  the  favour  of  God,  and  in  communion 
with  him  in  his  word  and  ordinances?     Is  his  glory 


HOW  TO  DIE  SAFELY.  361 

uppermost  in  our  desires,  and  do  we  sincerely  wish 
and  determine  to  do  all  that  we  can  to  promote  the 
kingdom  of  the  Redeemer?  Do  we  sincerely  love 
the  people  of  God,  of  every  sect  and  name,  because 
they  bear  his  image  and  are  the  redeemed  children 
of  God  ?  Again :  what  is  the  ground  on  which  we 
expect  the  pardon  of  sin  and  the  favour  of  God  ?  Is 
it  because  we  are  better  than  many  others  ?  Is  it 
because  we  have  had  what  we  esteem  great  experi- 
ences ?  Is  it  on  account  of  our  moral  demeanour  or 
charitable  benefactions  ?  Dare  we  trust  in  any  mea- 
sure to  our  own  goodness  and  righteousness  ?  If  we 
build  on  any  of  these,  or  on  any  similar  grounds, 
then  are  we  on  a  sandy  foundation,  and  all  our  tow- 
ering hopes  must  fall. 

But  methinks  I  hear  the  humble  penitent  saying, 
"  All  these  things  I  count  loss  for  Christ — I  feel  that 
I  deserve  to  die — I  never  was  more  convinced  of 
anything  than  that  it  would  have  been  perfectly  just 
for  God  to  send  me  to  hell.  And  now  all  my  trust 
and  all  my  hope,  if  I  know  my  own  heart,  is  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  his  perfect  righteousness 
and  intercession  ;  and  all  my  confidence  of  being  able 
to  serve  God  hereafter,  or  to  persevere  for  a  single 
day,  is  in  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  The  whole 
evidence  of  Chiistian  character  may  be  reduced  to 

46 


362  NEABING  HOME. 

two  particulars — entire  trust  in  Christ  for  justifica- 
tion, and  a  sincere  and  universal  love  of  holiness, 
with  a  dependence  on  the  Holy  Spirit  for  its  exist- 
ence, continuance  and  increase.  If,  my  friend,  you 
have  these  evidences  now,  you  need  not  perplex  your- 
self by  a  multitude  of  scruples.  You  may  dismiss 
your  doubts.  God's  word  will  never  deceive  any  who 
rely  upon  its  guidance.  You  may  not  know  the  day 
nor  even  the  year  when  spiritual  life  commenced  in 
your  soul ;  and  yet,  if  you  now  feel  its  warm  pulsa- 
tions— if  you  breathe  its  genuine  aspirations — if  your 
heart's  treasures  are  in  heaven,  and  if  the  cause  of 
God  is  dearer  to  you  than  any  other  interest — if  his 
people  are  dearer  to  you  than  any  other  people — if 
your  most  constant  and  supreme  desire  is  to  glorify 
God  your  Redeemer,  whether  by  living  or  dying — 
then  may  you  welcome  death.  He  is  no  king  of  ter- 
rors to  you.  You  may  say,  "  Come,  Lord  Jesus, 
come  quickly !" 

Perhaps  some  of  you  are  afraid  of  the  pangs  of 
death.  You  have  heard  of  the  convulsive  struggle — 
the  dying  groans — the  difficult  breathing — and  the 
ghastly  countenance.  "Well,  it  must  be  confessed, 
the  scene  is  appalling ;  but  it  is  soon  over,  for  ever. 
I  am  of  opinion,  however,  that  often  there  is  the  ap- 
pearance of  dreadful  suffering  where  the  patient  is 


HOW  TO  DIE  SAFELY.  363 

unconscious  of  any  very  acute  pain ;  and  very  fre- 
quently the  departure  of  the  immortal  spirit  is,  at  the 
last,  like  falling  into  a  gentle  sleep.  And  not  un- 
frequently,  while  the  body  is  racked  with  pain,  or 
with  what  would  produce  pain  in  other  circumstances, 
the  soul  is  so  supported  and  comforted  by  the  sweet 
peace  of  God  poured  into  it,  that  the  disorders  and 
convulsions  of  the  body  are  scarcely  thought  of.  And 
in  many  instances  God  takes  his  people  away  by  a 
sudden  stroke; — they  know  nothing  about  it  until 
they  awake  in  heaven.  Oh  what  a  transition!  Or, 
if  it  be  necessary  to  let  in  the  light  of  glory  gradu- 
ally, God,  who  knows  our  constitution,  will  order  all 
things  well. 

I  would  advise  you  to  meditate  much  on  death. 
Collect  and  have  in  memory  a  number  of  precious 
promises  for  the  occasion.  Put  up  many  prayers  for 
grace  and  strength  for  a  dying  hour.  Beg  an  interest 
in  the  intercessions  of  your  Christian  friends.  Keep 
your  minds  calm,  and  yield  not  to  perturbing  cares. 
Be  found  at  your  post  when  the  summons  comes, 
with  your  loins  girded  and  lights  burning. 


But  fficlobttr  ^abe  Dcparittr. 

FROM  THE  GERMAN  OF  J.  LANGE. 

Our  beloved  have  departed, 
While  we  tarry  broken-hearted 

In  the  dreary,  empty  house ; 
They  have  ended  life's  brief  story, 
They  have  reached  the  home  of  glory, 

Over  death  victorious  ! 

Hush  that  sobbing,  weep  more  lightly; 
On  we  travel,  daily,  nightly, 

To  the  rest  that  they  have  found : 
Are  we  not  upon  the  river, 
Sailing  fast,  to  meet  for  ever 

On  more  holy,  happy  ground  ? 

On  we  haste,  to  home  invited, 
There  with  friends  to  be  united 

In  a  surer  bond  than  here ; 
Meeting  soon,  and  met  for  ever ! — 
Glorious  hope,  forsake  us  never, 

For  thy  glimmering  light  is  dear. 

364 


OUR  BELOVED  HAVE  DEPARTED.  365 

Ah !  the  way  is  shining  clearer, 
As  we  journey  ever  nearer 

To  the  everlasting  home. 
Comrades,  who  await  our  landing, 
Friends,  who  round  the  throne  are  standing, 

We  salute  you,  and  we  come. 


0ttfibtu«  ht  (Dob. 


PAUL    GERHARDT. 


Bitter  anguish  have  I  borne, 
Keen  regret  my  heart  hath  torn, 
Sorrow  dimmed  my  weeping  eyes, 
Satan  blinded  me  with  lies ; 
Yet  at  last  am  I  set  free ; 
Help,  protection,  love  to  me 
Once  more  true  companions  be. 

Ne'er  was  left  a  helpless  prey, 
Ne'er  with  shame  was  turned  away, 
He  who  gave  himself  to  God, 
And  on  him  had  cast  his  load. 

Who  in  God  his  hope  hath  placed 
Shall  not  life  in  pain  outwaste ; 
Fullest  joy  he  yet  shall  taste. 

Though  to-day  may  not  fulfil 
All  thy  hopes,  have  patience  still ; 
For  perchance  to-morrow's  sun 
Sees  thy  happier  days  begun. 

366 


CONFIDENCE  IN  GOD.  367 

As  God  willeth  march  the  hours, 
Bringing  joy  at  last  in  showers, 
And  whate'er  we  asked  is  ours. 

When  my  heart  was  vexed  with  care, 

Filled  with  fears,  wellnigh  despair ; 

When,  with  watching  many  a  night, 

On  me  fell  pale  sickness'  blight ; 

When  my  courage  failed  me  fast, 
Cam  est  thou,  my  God,  at  last, 
And  my  woes  were  quickly  past. 

Now  as  long  as  here  I  roam, 
On  this  earth  have  house  and  home, 
Shall  this  wondrous  gleam  from  thee 
Shine  through  all  my  memory. 
To  my  God  I  yet  will  cling, 
All  my  life  the  praises  sing 
That  from  thankful  hearts  outspring. 

Every  sorrow,  every  smart, 

That  the  eternal  Father's  heart 

Hath  appointed  me  of  yore, 

Or  hath  yet  for  me  in  store, 

As  my  life  flows  on,  I'll  take 
Calmly,  gladly  for  his  sake — 
No  more  faithless  murmurs  make. 


368  NEARTNG  HOME. 


I  will  meet  distress  and  pain, 

I  will  greet  e'en  death's  dark  reign, 

I  will  lay  me  in  the  grave 

With  a  heart  still  glad  and  brave. 


Whom  the  Strongest  doth  defend. 
Whom  the  Highest  counts  his  friend, 
Cannot  perish  in  the  end. 


E\t  |tanl:s  of  %  ||rb*r. 

ANONYMOUS. 

"  Now  I  further  saw  that  betwixt  the  pilgrims  and 
the  gate  of  the  city  was  a  river ;  but  there  was  no 
bridge  to  go  over,  and  the  river  wras  very  deep.  At 
the  sight  of  this  river  the  pilgrims  were  much 
stunned ;  but  the  men  that  went  with  them  said, 
'  You  must  go  through,  or  you  cannot  come  at  the 
gate.'  The  pilgrims  then  began  to  inquire  if  there 
was  no  other  way  to  the  gate  ?  to  which  they  answered, 
'  Yes ;  but  there  hath  not  any,  save  two,  Enoch  and 
Elijah,  been  permitted  to  tread  that  path  since  the 
foundation  of  the  world,  nor  shall  until  the  last  trum- 
pet shall  sound.'  The  pilgrims  then  began  to  de- 
spond in  their  minds,  and  looked  this  way  and  that, 
but  no  way  could  be  found  by  them,  by  which  they 
might  escape  the  river."* 

Ah,  how  true  and  how  touching  is  this  description 
of  the  emotions  which  are  often  excited  in  the  Chris- 
tian pilgrim's  breast  as  he  stands  on  the  banks  of 

*  Pilgrim's  Progress. 
47  369 


370  NEABING  HOME. 

the  river  !  lie  fears  to  cross  its  deep,  dark  waters ; 
he  shrinks  from  the  strange,  and,  it  may  be,  the 
stormy  passage  to  eternity.  Oh,  if  he  could  but 
reach  the  celestial  citv  without  having  to  cross  the 
stream  of  death  ! 

It  cannot  be.  When  the  summons  for  his  de- 
parture arrives,  he  must  enter  that  cold  flood  and 
meet  its  terrors.  None  can  disregard  the  call,  nor 
choose  any  other  mode  of  transit.  "It  is  appointed 
unto  men  once  to  die."* 

Yet  why  should  the  Christian  be  afraid  ?  Solemn 
and  mysterious  as  the  last  change  undoubtedly  is, 
even  to  the  child  of  God,  he  may  rest  assured  that  a 
wise  and  loving  Saviour  will  shield  him  from  every 
danger,  and  guide  him  in  safety  through  it.  And  if 
Christ  himself  is  with  him  then,  if  his  rod  and  staff 
support  and  comfort  him,  what  evil  can  he* fear? 

Aged  reader,  as  you  gaze  upon  the  river  which 
rolls  between  you  and  the  promised  land,  is  your 
mind  filled  with  gloom  and  apprehension?  Is  it  not 
because  you  look  only  at  death  ?  You  do  not  at  the 
same  time  fix  the  eye  of  faith  upon  your  Saviour. 
You  seem  to  think  that,  unaided  and  alone,  you  will 
have  to  struggle  through  its  waves,  instead  of  joy- 
fully remembering  his  promise,  "When  thou  passest 

*  Heb.  ix.  27. 


THE  BANKS  OF  THE  RIVER.  371 

through  the  waters,  I  will  be  with  thee ;  and  through 
the  rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee."*  Oh  !  he 
who  lays  hold  upon  this  sweet  assurance  may  safely 
shut  his  eyes,  and  leave  himself  to  the  entire  disposal 
of  infinite  love,  and  faithfulness,  and  wisdom. 

Does  nature  recoil  from  the  physical  suffering  of 
the  last  mortal  conflict?  It  is  true  that  the  pains 
of  death  are  sometimes  so  severe  as  to  occasion  the 
deepest  distress  and  anguish ;  but  in  the  greater 
number  of  instances  how  easy  and  tranquil  are*  the 
closing  moments  of  life  !  How  many  pass  from  time 
to  eternity  as  calmly  as  an  infant  falling  asleep  on  its 
mother's  bosom  !  But  should  it  be  otherwise — should 
your  dying  hour  be  one  of  extreme  suffering — is  not 
the  manner  as  well  as  the  time  of  your  departure 
hence  appointed  by  your  heavenly  Father  ?  and  will 
he  suffer  you  to  be  tried  above  that  which  you  are 
able  to  bear  ?  He  knows  your  frame  ;  he  remembers 
that  you  are  dust,  and  feels  the  tenderest  parental 
compassion  for  those  who  fear  him ;  and  therefore 
you  may  be  assured  that  the  trials  which  his  love 
ordains,  whether  in  life  or  in  death,  are  necessary 
trials,  and  that  he  will  give  you  support  under  them. 
And  if  your  strength  is  proportioned  to  your  burden, 
is  it  not  the  same  in  effect  as  if  that  burden  were  re- 

*  Isa.  xliii.  2. 


372  NEARING  HOME. 

moved?  Listen  to  the  testimony  of  an  eminent 
minister  of  Christ,  whose  sufferings  were  intense,  but 
whose  spirit  was  filled  with  rejoicing  in  the  midst  of 
them  :  "  I  have  suffered  twenty  times,  yes — to  speak 
within  bounds — twenty  times  as  much  as  I  could  in 
being  burnt  at  the  stake ;  but  my  joy  in  God  so 
abounded  as  to  render  my  sufferings  not  only  toler- 
able, but  welcome.  The  sufferings  of  the  present 
time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory 
that  shall  be  revealed.  God  is  my  all.  While  he 
is  present  with  me  no  event  can  in  the  least  diminish 
my  happiness ;  and  were  the  whole  world  at  my  feet 
trying  to  minister  to  my  comfort,  they  could  not  add 
one  drop  to  the  cup.  Death  comes  every  night,  and 
stands  at  my  bedside  in  the  form  of  terrible  con- 
vulsions, until  every  bone  is  almost  dislocated  with 
pain  ;  yet  while  the  body  is  thus  tortured,  the  soul  is 
perfectly  happy  and  peaceful — more  happy  than  I  can 
possibly  express  to  you." 

How  easily  might  we  multiply  proofs  like  these — 
proofs  of  God  so  sustaining  and  elevating  the  soul  of 
the  believer  above  the  pressure  of  physical  suffering 
as  that  it  was  comparatively  unheeded  andunfelt! 
And  can  he  not  do  the  same,  reader,  for  you?  Is  not 
his  grace  sufficient  for  you  as  well  as  for  others  ?  Oh, 
trust  yourself  to  him  ;  repose  with  confidence  upon 


THE  BANKS  OF  THE  RIVER.  373 

his  promises ;  and  believe  that  in  a  dying  hour,  your 
succour  shall  be  equal  to  your  need.  Do  not  test 
your  preparedness  for  that  hour  by  the  strength  and 
comfort  which  you  now  possess,  but  by  the  solemn 
engagement  which  Christ  has  made  never  to  leave 
nor  forsake  you.  He  is  with  you  now,  to  help  you 
to  glorify  him  by  your  life ;  when  death  comes  he 
will  be  with  you  then,  and  help  you  to  glorify  him 
by  your  death.  Dying  grace  will  not  be  vouchsafed 
until  a  dying  hour;  you  do  not  want  it  now,  but  it 
will  be  abundantly  vouchsafed  then.  Wait  for  it  in 
faith.  "  Death  is  somewhat  dreary,"  said  Bishop 
Cowper  to  his  weeping  friends,  "  and  the  streams  of 
that  Jordan  which  is  between  us  and  our  Canaan 
run  furiously;  but  they  stand  still  when  the  ark 
comes." 

But  perhaps  your  anxiety  respecting  death  is 
occasioned  by  the  thought  of  the  separation  which 
must  take  place  between  the  soul  and  the  body.  You 
dread  the  entrance  upon  an  unknown  and  untried 
state  of  existence.  It  is  not  what  you  know,  but 
what  you  do  not  know  of  the  future,  which  causes 
your  distress.  If  any  one  could  return  from  the  un- 
seen world,  and  tell  you  exactly  what  he  experienced 
in  the  moment  of  his  departure  from  earth,  and 
clearly  describe  to  you  the  sensations  which  he  felt 


374  NEARINQ  HOME. 

when  he  found  himself  absent  from  the  body,  your 
mind,  you  think,  would  be  relieved  of  much  of  its 
disquietude.  But  it  is  the  uncertainty,  the  blank, 
the  mystery  lying  before,  in  the  awful  distance,  at 
which  you  tremble.  Like  a  child  in  the  dark,  be- 
cause you  cannot  see,  you  are  afraid.  The  imaginary 
objects  which  fill  you  with  awe  and  trepidation  would 
disappear  if  there  were  light  enough  to  reveal  to 
you  the  true  state  of  things.  Why,  then,  you  ask, 
is  that  light  withheld?  Could  not  God  have  unfolded 
to  us  in  his  word  the  nature  of  our  future  existence, 
and  the  mode  of  our  introduction  to  it  ?  He  must 
have  foreseen  the  suspense  and  the  agitation  which 
would  arise  through  our  ignorance,  and  yet  he  has 
not  sought  to  allay  our  fears  by  a  clearer  and  fuller 
revelation  of  things  to  come.  Why  is  it?  The  fact 
of  God's  silence  upon  this  point  is  a  sufficient  reply. 
We  may  be  sure,  since  he  is  Love,  that  the  know- 
ledge which  he  has  reserved  is  neither  requisite  nor 
desirable  for  us.  It  is  probable  that,  in  our  present 
state  of  existence  we  could  not  comprehend  more 
than  he  has  already  told  us  about  another  world,  or 
the  full  blaze  of  light  which  we  .desire,  had  it  been 
granted,  might  have  proved  injurious  to  us.  We 
are  as  y«t  only  in  the  infancy  of  our  being,  and  do 
not  know  what  is  best  for  us ;  but  our  Maker  knows, 


THE  BANKS  OF  THE  RIVER.  375 

and  he  has  acted  accordingly.  "He  has  said  enough 
to  awaken  curiosity,  to  enkindle  desire,  to  inspire 
hope,  to  encourage  confidence  and  expectation ;  and 
we  must  wait  for  the  rest.  God  calls  us  to  honour 
him  by  our  faith,  by  our  belief,- at  all  times  and  under 
all  circumstances,  in  his  wisdom  and  goodness.  It 
is  as  though  we  were  allowed  to  give  to  the  universe 
a  proof  of  the  firmness  of  our  dependence,  upon  him, 
such  as  no  heavenly  spirits  can  give,  to  show  that  we 
are  not  afraid  to  trust  him  even  when  he  bids  us 
die."  Oh,  shall  we  not  willingly  prove  how  unshaken 
is  our  reliance  on  his  love,  by  resigning  ourselves  in 
the  hour  of  death,  without  one  fear,  to  his  care  ?  The 
way  before  us  is  dark  and  mysterious,  but  we  will 
cheerfully  follow  where  he  leads  us.  And  how 
gently,  how  tenderly  will  he  lead  us !  The  act  of 
dying  which  we  so  greatly  fear  may  be  a  gentle  and 
painless  slumber — a  quiet  falling  asleep  in  Christ ; 
and  the  light  of  eternity  will  dawn  upon  us  like  the 
tranquil  beams  of  the  morning  which  now  gladden 
our  waking  eyes. 

k'Hast  thou  ne'er  looked  on  a  little  child 

When  he  first  awakes  from  rest, 
And  smiles  to  think  how  his  dream  beguiled 

While  he  slept  on  a  parent's  breast? 
So  calm  and  so  sweet  shall  the  waking  be 
In  the  radiant  dawn  of  eternity." 


376  NEARIXG  HOME. 

There  is,  it  is  true,  something  strange  and  inexpli- 
cable in  the  idea  of  our  existence  without  a  body;  we 
are  apt  to  fancy  that  a  disembodied  spirit  must  at 
first  feel  as  it  were  unclothed  and  unprotected.  But 
it  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  the  soul  owes  its 
defence  from  external  harms  and  hardships  to  the 
body  in  the  same  manner  as  the  body  does  to  the 
clothes  it  wears.  The  very  contrary  is  true.  It  is 
here  exposed  to  many  more  harms  and  hardships  by 
means  of  its  union  with  the  mortal  body ;  and,  con- 
sequently, its  disunion  from  that  will  be  its  freedom 
from  them.  The  operations  and  conceptions  of  the 
liberated  soul  will  be  inconceivably  more  perfect, 
free,  and  unbiassed  than  they  now  are,  while  subject 
to  so  many  impediments  and  interruptions  from  its 
connection  with  animal  nature.  This  is  evident  from 
the  fact  that  even  now  we  find  our  soul  in  the  best 
frame  for  thinking  when  it  is  least  affected  by  the 
body.  How  rapid,  how  strong,  how  clear,  then,  will 
be  the  flow  of  its  thoughts  when  they  meet  with 
nothing  from  without  to  obstruct  them ! 

The  dread  of  death,  however,  may  arise  from  other 
causes.  It  may  result  from  apprehensions  as  to  our 
eternal  happiness.  We  fear,  sometimes,  whether 
our  names  are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life — 
whether  we  have  any  warrant  to  look  forward  to  a 


THE  BANKS  OF  THE  RIVER.  377 

participation  in  everlasting  joys  ;  and  therefore  we 
cannot  bear  the  thought  of  meeting  our  Judge  face 
to  face,  and  would  fain  retard  the  moment  when  our 
everlasting  destiny  must  be  fixed.  Were  we  sure 
that  there  was  a  mansion  prepared  for  us,  and  a 
crown  of  glory  laid  up  for  us  in  heaven,  oh  we 
should  not  mind  passing  through  the  river  of  death, 
even  though  its  waters  were  deep  and  tempest-tossed. 
But  how  can  we  be  sure  ? 

What  saith  the  Scripture? — "There  is  now  no 
condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus." 
"  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life." 
"  I  am  the  living  bread  which  came  down  from  hea- 
ven ;  if  any  man  eat  of  this  bread  he  shall  live  for 
ever."  "My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know  them, 
and  they  follow  me :  and  I  give  unto  them  eternal 
life ;  and  they  shall  never  perish."  "  I  will  come 
again,  and  receive  you  unto  myself;  that  where  I  am, 
there  ye  may  be  also."* 

But  precious  as  these  assertions  are,  they  do  not 
exactly  relieve  our  distress.  Our  fear  is  not  whether 
true  believers  are  everlastingly  saved,  but  whether 
we  are  among  their  number.  We  hope  we  are,  but 
it  is  so  easy  to  deceive  ourselves ;  we  may  be  mis- 
taken ;  and  how  terrible  to  wake  in  eternity  and  find 

*  Rom.  viii.  7;  John  iii.  36;  vi.  51 ;  x.  27;  xiv.  3. 
48 


378  NEARING  HOME. 

ourselves  excluded  from  the  bliss  of  the  redeemed, 
beyond  the  possibility  of  change ;  for,  what  we  are 
then,  we  must  be  for  evei 

Our  dread,  then,  of  death — or  rather  of  the  conse- 
quences of  death — may  be  traced  to  the  weakness  of 
our  faith  or  to  imperfect  views  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  It  cannot,  therefore,  be  removed  until  our 
faith  becomes  stronger  and  our  views  clearer.  We 
must  study  the  word  which  God  has  given  us,  and 
ask  for  the  teaching  of  his  Spirit,  that  we  may  be 
enabled  to  understand  and  to  apply  to  ourselves  the 
heart-cheering  truth,  "Christ  is  all,  and  in  all;"  "Ye 
are  complete  in  him."  We  must  strive  to  lay  aside 
the  reasonings,  the  prejudices,  and  the  unbelief  of  our 
own  hearts,  and  receive  with  simplicity  and  thank- 
fulness the  full  and  free  promises  of  our  Saviour. 
As  we  become  better  acquainted  with  that  loving 
Saviour,  and  understand  more  perfectly  the  design 
of  his  all-sufficient  atonement,  our  anxious  forebod- 
ings about  the  future  will  gradually  pass  away  as 
the  gloom  of  midnight  fades  before  the  rising  sun, 
and  the  God  of  hope  will  fill  us  with  all  joy  and 
peace  in  believing. 

It  will  tend  to  mitigate  the  alarm  with  which  we 
regard  the  solemn  change  of  death,  if  we  look  at  it 
in  its  true  character,  as  a  continuance  of  the  present, 


THE  BANKS  OF  THE  RIVER.  379 

rather  than  as  the  commencement  of  a  new  state  of 
existence.  Heaven  and  hell  are  not  so  much  the 
reward  (using  the  word  in  its  scriptural  sense)  of 
our  past  life  as  the  necessary  sequence  of  it.  It  will 
be  what  we  are,  not  where  we  are,  which  will  consti- 
tute our  felicity  or  our  woe ;  and  therefore  if  we  are 
conscious  now  that  we  love  the  Saviour  and  trust  in 
him,  and  follow  after  holiness,  or  even  that  we 
heartily  desire  and  strive  to  do  this,  is  it  not  plain 
that  we  have  within  us  the  germ  of  true  happiness — 
a  heart  that  is  touched  with  the  love  of  Christ,  and 
longs  for  conformity  to  his  likeness  ?  With  this 
principle  implanted  in  our  hearts,  how  could  we  be 
for  ever  miserable  ?  It  is  impossible !  not  only 
because  Grod  will  never  falsify  his  own  word,  nor 
condemn  those  who  put  their  trust  in  his  Son,  but 
because  the  elements  of  lasting  peace  and  joy  are 
already  ours.  "  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath — 
not  shall  have — everlasting  life."  Meditate  on  this 
declaration,  dear  reader,  and  take  the  consolation 
which  it  is  calculated  to  impart  to  all  who  are  placing 
their  reliance  upon  the  atonement  of  Christ. 

But  in  the  contemplation  of  a  dying  hour  a  tender 
and  affectionate  spirit  is  sometimes  deeply  affected  at 
the  prospect  of  parting  with  beloved  relatives  and 
friends.     There  are  some,  perhaps,  to  whom  we  are 


380  NEARING  HOME. 

a  solace  and  a  support,  who  have  always  been 
accustomed  to  lean  upon  us  in  their  weary  march  of 
life,  and  to  look  to  us  for  counsel  and  sympathy ; 
how  will  they  do  without  us  ?  how  can  we  leave 
them  to  struggle  on  alone  and  sorrowful  ?  Or  there 
are  others  for  whose  salvation  we  are  deeply  con- 
cerned, and  over  whose  wanderings  we  often  shed 
bitter  tears ;  how  shall  we  bear  to  take  our  farewell — 
it  may  be  our  last  farewell — of  them?  How  keen 
will  be  the  anguish  of  our  dying  hour  as  we  reflect 
that  they  are  still  unchanged,  unsaved,  and  that  we 
dare  not  cherish  the  hope  of  meeting  them  again ! 

Oh  how  painful  are  the  separations  of  the  grave ! 
How  hard  it  is  to  sever,  if  only  for  a  few  years,  the 
ties  which  bind  us  so  closely  to  the  dear  ones  around 
us  !  Many  Christians,  aged  Christians  too — for  old 
age  does  not  quench  the  ardency  of  the  affections — 
can  respond  to  the  touching  desire  of  a  youthful 
disciple  of  the  Saviour:  "Oh,  mamma!  I  wish  we 
could  all  die  and  go  to  heaven  together." 

Yet  why  should  you  dwell  only  on  the  dark  side 
of  the  picture?  It  may  never  be  presented  to  you. 
Your  heavenly  Father,  in  his  compassion  for  your 
weakness,  may  spare  you  the  sorrow  which  you 
anticipate.  You  may  pass  away  from  this  life  as  in 
a  quiet  slumber. 


THE  BANKS  OF  THE  RIVER.  381 

"Nor  bear  a  single  pang  at  parting; 
Nor  see  the  tear  of  sorrow  starting ; 
Nor  hear  the  quivering  lips  that  bless  you ; 
Nor  feel  the  hands  of  love  that  press  you." 

Or,  if  not — if  fully  conscious  in  your  last  moments 
that  you  are  parting  from  those  whom  you  love — God 
will  so  strengthen  and  animate  your  dying  spirit  as 
that  you  shall  be  enabled  with  calmness,  nay,  with 
cheerfulness,  to  resign  the  objects  of  your  affection 
to  his  merciful  guidance  and  protection.  You  will 
feel  that  he  who  has  watched  over  you  so  many  years 
in  the  wilderness,  and  brought  you  safely  through 
every  danger,  can  surely  do  as  much  for  those  whom 
you  are  leaving  behind ;  that  he  who  has  taught  you 
to  pray  so  earnestly  and  so  perseveringly  for  their 
spiritual  welfare  will  not  suffer  your  prayers  to  re- 
main unanswered,  although  he  calls  you  home  before 
you  have  witnessed  their  fulfilment.  And  you  will 
also  realize  your  happy  and  speedy  re-union  with 
your  dear  friends  in  another  world.  Death  will  not 
long  divide  you;  the  remainder  of  their  appointed 
time  on  earth  will  pass  rapidly  away  as  a  tale  that  is 
told,  and  then  you  will  meet  them  again-^meet  to 
part  no  more ! 

"With  the  prospect  of  meeting  for  ever, 
With  the  bright  gates  of  heaven  in  view, 


382  NEARING  HOME. 

From  the  dearest  on  earth  we  may  sever, 
And  smile  a  delightful  adieu." 

Aged  believer,  you  are  standing  now  on  the  banks 
of  the  river ;  fear  not,  only  believe.  Remember  that 
one  of  the  reasons  why  Jesus  Christ  manifested  him- 
self in  human  nature  was  for  the  express  purpose  of 
dispelling  that  gloom  which  naturally  overspreads 
the  mind  as  we  look  upon  the  dark  waters  of  death. 
"  Forasmuch  as  the  children  are  partakers  of  flesh 
and  blood,  he  also  himself  likewise  took  part  of  the 
same ;  that  through  death  he  might  destroy  him  that 
had  the  power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil ;  and  de- 
liver them  who  through  fear  of  death  were  all  their 
lifetime  subject  to  bondage."*  Then  seek  deliver- 
ance from  that  fear,  and  expect  deliverance.  Christ 
suffered  not  in  vain ;  all  the  purposes  of  his  death 
have  been  fully  accomplished ;  and  he  would  have 
his  people  even  now  to  participate  in  his  triumph ; 
and  without  waiting  for  the  actual  encounter  to  join 
in  the  ascription  of  the  apostle,  "  Thanks  be  to  God 
which  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ !"     Then 

"Shudder  not  to  pass  the  stream, 
Venture  all  thy  care  on  him — 
Him  whose  dying  love  and  power 
Still'd  its  tossing,  hushed  its  roar. 
*  Heb.  ii.  14,  15. 


THE  BANKS  OF  THE  RIVER,  383 

Not  one  object  of  his  care 

Ever  suffered  shipwreck  there ; 

See  the  haven  full  in  view ; 

Love  divine  shall  bear  thee  through." 

Is  it  granted  to  you  to  possess  that  strong  faith, 
that  calm  assurance  which  elevates  the  mind  above 
the  fear  of  death  ?  Can  you  say  with  gladness,  "  The 
time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand :  I  have  fought  a 
good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept 
the  faith :  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown 
of  righteousness  which  the  Lord  the  righteous 
Judge  shall  give  me  at  that  day?''*  Thank  your 
Saviour  for  this  glorious  hope — this  hope  which  is  as 
an  anchor  of  the  soul,  sure  and  steadfast — for  he  is 
its  author  and  its  bestower.  It  is  because  he  has  abol- 
ished death  and  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light 
through  the  gospel,  that  you  are  now  enabled  to  look 
forward  with  composure  to  your  conflict  with  the  last 
foe,  and  triumphantly  to  ask,  "  0  death,  where  is  thy 
sting?  0  grave,  where  is  thy  victory ?"f  Well  may 
you  rejoice,  for  your  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  Grod, 
and  you  are  safe  for  ever — safe  amidst  the  infirmi- 
ties and  perils  of  old  age;  safe  in  the  swelling  waters 
of  Jordan ;  safe  when  you  stand  before  the  solemn 
judgment-seat;  yes,  safe  throughout  eternity.     No- 

*  2  Tim.  iv.  6-8.  t  1  Cor.  xv.  55. 


384  NEARING  HOME. 

tiling  in  earth  or  hell  can  separate  you  from  the  love 
of  God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  or  pluck  you  from 
the  grasp  of  your  ever-living  Saviour.  He  upholds 
and  comforts  you  now  in  the  evening  of  life ;  and 
"  by-and-by,  leaning  upon  his  arm,  you  shall  come 
down  to  the  river.  Not  a  ripple  shall  be  on  its 
bosom;  its  clear  waters  shining  in  heaven's  own  light 
shall  allure  to  the  crossing.  His  feet  shall  but  touch 
the  stream,  and,  lo,  a  way  for  the  ransomed  to  pass 
over."  "  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the 
Lord ;"  "  Precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the 
death  of  his  saints. "* 

But  our  remarks  about  the  river  of  death  have 
been  addressed  to  true  Christians ;  are  you,  reader, 
one  of  their  number  ?  If  not,  you  have  no  right  to 
appropriate  to  yourself  the  consolations  which  are 
designed  only  for  them.  There  is  no  sight  more 
painful  than  that  of  an  aged  individual  on  the  bor- 
ders of  the  grave,  on  the  threshold  of  eternity,  un- 
renewed, unsanctified,  and  yet  undismayed  by  the 
terrors  of  the  future,  and  confident  of  the  joys  of 
heaven.  May  God  preserve  us  from  so  fearful  a  de- 
lusion !  "Be  not  deceived;  God  is  not  mocked:  for 
whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap."f 
A   life    of    carelessness  —  of    worldliness  —  of    self- 

*  Rev.  xiv.  13 ;  Psa.  cxvi.  15.  t  Gal.  vi.  7. 


THE  BANKS  OF  THE  RIVER.  385 

righteousness,  cannot  prepare  us  for  a  life  of  glory. 
"  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  lie  cannot  see  the 
kingdom  of  God."  "  He  that  belie veth  not  the  Son 
shall  not  see  life ;  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on 
him.*  "Without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  the 
Lord  "f  A  change  of  heart,  faith  in  Christ,  the 
fruits  of  holiness,  are  the  precursors  of  the  believer's 
assurance  of  eternal  felicity ;  what  do  you  know  of 
them  in  your  own  experience?  Examine  yourself, 
whether  you  are  in  the  faith,  or  whether  you  have 
only  a  name  to  live  while  you  are  dead.  The  absence 
of  alarm,  or  even  the  possession  of  joy,  as  you  draw 
near  to  death  and  eternity,  is  not  of  itself  an  indica- 
tion of  safety.  It  may  be  but  the  deadly  calm  be- 
fore an  awful  tempest;  a  fatal  slumber  on  the  edge 
of  a  frightful  precipice.  Ignoeance  trembled  not 
when  he  came  to  the  river-side  and  prepared  to  cross 
it;  he  got  over  it  with  less  difficulty  than  Christian, 
for  one  Vain  Hope  helped  him  with  his  boat ;  but 
when  he  reached  the  other  side,  the  King  commanded 
his  servants  to  bind  him  hand  and  foot,  and  to  cast 
him  into  outer  darkness. 

Yet  while  this  should  warn  the  presumptuous 
and  the  self-confident,  it  should  not  discourage  the 
awakened  sinner  who  feels  that  life  is  receding  be- 

*  John  iii.  3,  36.  t  Heb.  xii.  14. 

49 


386  NEARING  HOME. 

neath  his  tread,  and  that  his  feet  have  as  yet  found 
no  sure  resting-place.  The  language  of  the  gospel 
is  language  of  peace  to  all  who  really  desire  salvation 
from  the  peril  and  the  dominion  of  sin.  "  Come  unto 
me,"  says  the  Saviour  whom  it  proclaims,  "  all  ye 
that  labour  and  are  heavy-laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
rest."*  It  is  never  too  late  to  turn  to  him,  to  seek 
forgiveness  at  his  cross.  God's  promises  of  salvation 
are  made  without  exception  of  time ;  for  whenever  a 
sinner  repents  of  his  sins,  he  has  promised  to  put 
away  his  wickedness  out  of  remembrance.  They  are 
made  without  exception  of  sins;  for,  "The  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin  ;"f  and,  "All 
manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto 
men."J  They  are  made  without  exception  of  per- 
sons; for,  "Whosoever  shall  call  on  the  name  of  the 
Lord  shall  be  saved ;"§  "Whosoever  will,  let  him 
take  the  water  of  life  freely  ;"||  "  Him  that  cometh  to 
me  I  will  in  no  wise  east  out."]f 

Ao-ed  reader!  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  which 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  word."  Look  unto  him 
and  be  saved.  How  else  will  you  pass  through  the 
swellings  of  Jordan  ?  how  else  will  you  stand  at  the 
judgment-seat  of  Christ? 

*  Matt.  xi.  28.  f  1  John  i.  7.  X  Matt.  xii.  31. 

\  Acts  ii.  21.  ||  Rev.  xxii.  17.  \  John  vi.  37. 


fecabtntoari. 

FROM  THE  GERMAN  OF  B.  SCHMOLKE. 

Heavenward  cloth  our  journey  tend, 
We  are  strangers  here  on  earth ; 

Through  the  wilderness  we  wend 
Towards  the  Canaan  of  our  birth. 

Here  we  roam  a  pilgrim  band, 

Yonder  is  our  native  land. 

Heavenward  stretch,  my  soul,  thy  wings, 
Heavenly  nature  canst  thou  claim  ; 

There  is  naught  of  earthly  things 
Worthy  to  be  all  thine  aim ; 

Every  soul  whom  God  inspires 

Back  to  him,  its  Source,  aspires. 

Heavenward !  doth  his  Spirit  cry, 
When  I  hear  him  in  his  word, 

Showing  thus  the  rest  on  high, 
When  I  shall  be  with  my  Lord : 

When  his  word  fills  all  my  thought, 

Oft  to  heaven  my  soul  is  caught. 

337 


388  •    HEARING  HOME. 

Heavenward  ever  would  I  haste, 
When  thy  table,  Lord,  is  spread ; 

Heavenly  strength  on  earth  I  taste, 
Feeding  on  the  Living  Bread. 

Such  is  e'en  on  earth  our  fare 

Who  thy  marriage  feast  shall  share. 

Heavenward !  Faith  discerns  the  prize 

That  is  waiting  us  afar, 
And  my  heart  would  swiftly  rise, 

High  o'er  sun  and  moon  and  star, 
To  that  Light  behind  the  veil 
Where  all  earthly  splendours  pale. 

Heavenward  Death  shall  lead  at  last, 
To  the  home  where  I  would  be ; 

All  my  sorrows  overpast, 

I  shall  triumph  there  with  thee, 

Jesus,  who  hast  gone  before, 

That  we  too  might  heavenward  soar. 

Heavenward!  Heavenward!    Only  this 
Is  my  watchword  on  the  earth ; 

For  the  love  of  heavenly  bliss 
Counting  all  things  little  worth. 

Heavenward  all  my  being  tends, 

Till  in  heaven  my  journey  ends. 


Ijcn  tmlt  tljoxi  Sic? 


ANONYMOUS. 


JNot  in  the  solemn  night, 
When  dim  and  shadowy  all  things  appear ; 
When  thoughts  are  tinged  with  mournfulness  and 
fear, 
And  nature's  fairest  scenes  are  veiled  from  sight ; 
For  darkness  only  throws  a  deeper  gloom 
Around  the  opening -tomb. 

But  let  the  gladsome  day 
Smile  upon  my  departure ;  let  the  bright 
And  glorious  sunshine  image  forth  that  light 

Which  soon  shall  beam  with  pure  and  fadeless  ray 
Upon  my  ransomed  spirit ;  let  no  cloud 
Life's  closing  scene  enshroud. 

Wot  in  the  hour  of  health, 
Without  one  kind  adieu  or  parting  token, 
When  suddenly  the  chain  of  life  is  broken, 

And  our  last  messenger  comes  as  by  stealth  ; — 
From  quick  transition  to  eternity. 
Good  Lord,  deliver  me. 

3E9 


390  XEARIXG  HOME. 

Calm  be  my  last  farewell 
To  all  the  joys  and  cares  and  griefs  of  earth; 
On  themes  of  precious  and  immortal  worth 
In  peaceful  contemplation  let  me  dwell ; 
As  gradually  fades  the  light  of  day, 

So  let  me  pass  away. 

Not  in  a  distant  land, 
Or  on  the  bosom  of  the  lonely  sea, 
Where  stranger  forms  would  coldly  bend  o'er  me ; 
Far,  far  from  the  loved  and  home-linked  band ; 
Without  one  friend  my  dying  hours  to  bless, 

And  soothe  my  weariness. 

But  gather  round  my  bed 
The  loved  ones  who  have  gladdened  life's  past  hours: 
Let  cherished  objects,  fondly-tended  flowers, 

And  well-known  faces,  comfort  round  me  spread ; 
And  gentle  words  of  counsel  and  of  love 
Point  me  to  hopes  above. 

Saviour !  thou  wilt  not  chide 
These  simple  wishes  twined  around  the  grave; 
And  yet  'tis  better  that  on  death's  cold  wave 

My  trembling  vessel  thou  shouldst  launch  and  guide, 
How,  when,  and  where  thou  wilt:  what  should  I  fear 

With  thee,  my  pilot,  near  ? 


WHEN   WILT  THOU  DIEf  391 

Through  all  life's  troublous  way 
Thou  hast  sustained  me.     Thou  wilt  keep  me  still. 
Veiled  is  the  future,  yet  I  fear  no  ill ; 

But  ready  stand  thy  summons  to  obey. 
It  matters  little  what  the  path  may  be, 

So  that  it  leads  to  thee. 


Ijc  |%gci>  jgdrcber  s  ffirhtmpf. 

.       REV.    WILLIAM    ROMAINE. 

It  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die.  The  time  is 
fixed  by  an  immutable  decree.  The  days  of  our  years 
are  .threescore  years  and  ten,  and  if  by  reason  of 
strength  they  be  fourscore  years,  yet  is  their  strength 
labour  and  sorrow :  for  it  is  soon  cut  off,  and  we  flee 
away.  If  some  be  permitted  to  live  longer,  yet  the 
infirmities  of  old  age  must  arrive,  bringing  with  them 
labour  and  sorrow,  the  forerunners  of  death.  Circu- 
lation will  become  languid.  The  senses  of  the  body 
will  grow  dull  and  heavy.  The  faculties  of  the  mind 
will  be  impaired,  and  they  will  discover  it  by  not  re- 
membering proper  names. 

In  this  decline  of  life  believers  are  subject  to  the 
same  infirmities  with  other  men  ;  they  have  no  ex- 
emption from  pain,  or  sickness,  or  death;  but  they 
have  tli at  which  keeps  up  their  spirits  and  makes 
them  patient  and  joyful.  The  consolations  of  God 
are  then  most  needed,  and  he  has  promised  them,  and 
From  "Triumph  of  Faith." 

392 


THE  AGED  BELIEVER'S  TRIUMPH,  393 

he  is  faithful :  he  never  failed  them  who  trusted  in 
him.  He  has  suited  his  promises  to  all  the'  infirmi- 
ties of  age.  He  knows  our  frame  perfectly,  and  has 
described  it  with  an  unerring  pen  (Eccles.  xii.),  that 
when  we  feel  the  signs  of  old  age  we  may  apply  to 
to  him  for  grace  to  profit  by  them.  The  symptoms 
there  given  are  infallibly  true  and  just,  and  are  as  so 
many  monitors,  warning  the  man  that  the  vigour  of 
life  is  declining,  and  that  the  body  is  returning  to  the 
earth  from  whence  it  came.  Happy  is  he  who  takes 
this  warning,  and  remembers  his  Creator  in  the  days 
of  his  youth,  before  the  wearisome  days  come  of 
weakness  and  pain.  He  has  fled  to  Jesus  for  refuge, 
and  finds  and  experiences  what  he  has  engaged  to 
do  for  his  people  when  heart  and  flesh  begin  to  fail 
them.  Blessed  be  his  grace  for  the  abundant  pro- 
vision which  he  has  made  for  their  faith  and  pa- 
tience :  he  says  to  them,  "  I  will  be  with  you,  I  will 
never  leave  you  nor  forsake  you :  so  that  you  may 
boldly  say,  The  Lord  is  our  helper,  and  we  need  not 
fear  what  the  infirmities  of  age  can  do  unto  us."  One 
of  them,  the  Christian  hero,  thus  encouraged  himself 
in  the  Lord  his  Grod :  "  Thou  art  my  hope,  0  Lord 
God  :  thou  art  my  trust  even  from  my  youth.  By  thee 
have  I  been  holden  up  from  the  womb ;  thou  art  he 
that  took  me  out  of  my  mother's  bowels ;  ny  praise 

50 


394  SEARING  HOME. 

shall  be  continually  of  thee.  I  am  a  wonder  unto 
many,  but  thou  art  my  strong  refuge."  This  was  his 
trust;  and  God  did  not  forsake  him.  He  remem- 
bered his  word  unto  his  servant,  whereon  he  had 
caused  him  to  depend.  There  failed  not  aught  of 
any  good  thing  which  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  him. 
Oh  what  great  encouragement  have  believers  to  follow 
the  steps  of  his  faith  !  For  his  God  is  their  God,  the 
same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever,  to  young  and 
old,  who  put  their  trust  in  him.  His  promise  to  the 
Israel  of  God  cannot  be  broken.  Thus  he  pledges 
his  word  of  truth  to  them,  giving  them  a  warrant  to 
pray  unto  him :  "  Let  my  mouth  be  filled  with  thy 
praise,  and  with  thy  honour  all  the  day ;  cast  me 
not  off  in  the  time  of  old  age ;  forsake  me  not  when 
my  strength  faileth."  To  this  prayer  the  Lord 
inclined  his  ear,  and  vouchsafed  this  gracious  an- 
swer :  "  Hearken  unto  me,  0  house  of  Jacob,  and 
all  the  remnant  of  the  house  of  Israel,  which  are 
borne  by  me  from  the  belly,  which  are  carried  from 
the  womb :  and  even  to  your  old  age  I  am  he  ;  and 
even  to  hoar  hairs  will  I  carry  you :  I  have  made, 
and  I  will  bear;  even  I  will  carry,  and  will  deliver 
you."  These  are  some  of  his  rich  cordials  for  the 
aged,  which  he  provided  for  them  in  his  love,  and 
he  is  sensibly  touched  with  the  feeling  of  their  in- 


THE  AGED  BELIEVER'S  TRIUMPH.  395 

firmities  in  administering  tlieni ;  for  lie  himself 
took  our  infirmities  and  bare  our  sicknesses.  His 
compassions  bind  him  to  comfort  and  relieve  his  old 
disciples ;  and  when  they  apply  to  him  in  time  of 
need,  he  is  ever  present  to  grant  them  his  promised 
help ;  yea,  so  suited  to  their  case  as  to  make  them 
grow  in  grace  as  they  grow  in  years.  They  bring 
forth  fruit  in  their  old  age,  the  rich  fruit  of  humility 
and  the  ripe  fruit  of  thankfulness — fruit  that  enclur- 
eth  unto  everlasting  life. 

We  have  a  happy  instance  of  this  in  God's  good- 
ness to  an  ancient  believer  who  lived  to  be  an  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  years  old.  He  was  the  friend 
of  God,  who  had  blessed  Abraham  through  life,  and 
that  in  all  things,  and  who  even  to  hoary  hairs 
loaded  him  with  blessings.  For  God  had  promised 
him,  "  Thou  shalt  go  to  thy  fathers  in  peace,  thou 
shalt  be  buried  in  a  good  old  age ;"  and  the  sacred 
historian,  relating  the  fulfilling  of  the  promise,  says, 
"  He  gave  up  the  ghost,  and  died  in  a  good  old  age, 
an  old  man,  and  full  of  years,  and  was  gathered  to 
his  people."  His  old  age  was  good  in  body  and  soul. 
Whatever  infirmities  he  had,  they  were  intended  for 
good,  and  actually  did  him  good.  He  was  a  very 
cheerful,  pleasant  old  man.  The  jieace  of  his  mind 
had  a  swreet  influence  upon  his  temper  and  beha- 


396  NEARING  HOME. 

viour.  It  kept  him  from  being  fretful  and  peevish 
in  his  family.  He  was  loving  to  his  children  and 
kind  to  his  servants,  God  himself  being  witness. 
He  was  also  happy  in  his  last  years ;  for  he  spent 
them  in  faith,  and  when  they  came  to  an  end  he  died 
in  peace ;  with  his  last  breath  he  committed  his  spirit 
into  the  hands  of  him  who  had  redeemed  it,  full  of 
years;  it  is  in  the  original  one  word — he  was  satisfied; 
so  it  is  rendered,  Psa.  xvii.  15,  "As  for  me  I  shall 
behold  thy  face  in  righteousness ;  I  shall  be  satisfied 
when  I  awake  with  thy  likeness."  He  was  satisfied 
with  what  he  had  enjoyed  of  the  favour  and  friend- 
ship of  his  God ;  who  had  been  his  shield  to  defend 
him  from  all  sins  and  enemies,  and  also  had  promised 
to  be  his  exceeding  great  reward.  This  he  obtained 
when  he  was  gathered  to  his  people,  to  the  general 
assembly  and  Church  of  the  first-born,  and  to  the 
most  blissful  communion  of  the  Three-One  Jehovah. 
All  the  children  of  faithful  Abraham,  treading  in 
the  steps  of  his  faith,  have  the  same  God  to  deal 
with,  who  keepeth  promise  for  ever.  It  is  recorded 
of  Isaac,  the  heir  of  the  same  promise  with  his 
father,  that  he  died  in  the  same  faith  an  old  man. 
He  was  tried  with  many  infirmities,  but  we  read  of 
no  complaints,  though  lie  was  an  hundred  and  eighty 
years  of  age.    He  expired  in  praise  and  thankfulness, 


THE  AGED  EELIEVER'S  TRIUMPH.  397 

satisfied  with  life,  and  happy  in  the  prospect  beyond 
death.  And  his  son  Jacob,  an  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  years  old,  when  he  was  dying  declared  that  he 
had  waited  for  the  salvation  of  God.  Waiting  faith 
is  strong  faith.  And  after  he  had  blessed  his  chil- 
dren, and  had  given  commandment  concerning  his 
bones,  he  quietly,  as  if  he  had  been  going  to  sleep, 
gathered  up  his  feet  into  the  bed  and  died  in  peace, 
an  old  man  and  satisfied.  All  these  lived  in  the 
world,  strangers  and  pilgrims,  looking  for  a  city  that 
hath  foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God. 
And  they  were  not  disappointed  of  their  hope ;  they 
all  died  in  faith — in  an  act  of  faith — and  were  gathered 
to  their  people,  to  the  general  assembly  and  Church 
of  the  first-born.  When  they  came  to  the  end  of 
their  faith  they  came  to  heaven.  The  moment  they 
expired  they  entered  the  city  which  God  had  prepared 
for  them ;  and  their  bodies  sleeping  in  the  dust  are 
in  the  covenant  of  life,  and  shall  be  raised  and  glori 
fied  in  the  morning  of  the  resurrection.  For  our 
Lord  proves  that  the  dead  shall  rise  from  this  very 
circumstance;  he  says  to  the  Jews  :  "Have  ye  not 
read  in  the  books  of  Moses,  how  in  the  bush  God 
spake  unto  him,  saying,  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham, 
and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob  ?  He  is 
not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  the  God  of  the  living." 


398  NEABINO  HOME. 

In  this  faith  the  patriarchs  died ;  being  children  of 
the  resurrection,  they  left  their  bodies  in  the  hand 
and  care  of  a  covenant  God,  well  assured  that  he 
would  raise  them  up  to  glory  and  life  everlasting, 
according  to  that  good  word  wherein  he  had  caused 
them  to  put  their  trust. 

These  examples  of  the  loving-kindness  of  God  to 
nis  aged  servants  were  recorded  for  our  learning, 
that  believers,  if  God  by  his  providence  should  bring 
them  to  old  age,  might  be  encouraged  to  trust  in  the 
God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  with  such  a  con- 
fidence of  their  hearts  as  not  to  doubt  of  the  divine 
truth  or  of  the  divine  power.  Whatever  he  was  to 
them,  he  is  the  same  to  us — our  God  as  well  as  theirs 
— our  covenant  God  engaged  to  glorify  both  body  and 
soul ;  on  whom  we  are  commanded  to  cast  all  our 
cares  and  concerns  in  extreme  old  age.  If  what  is 
of  nature  be  failing,  what  is  of  grace  cannot.  If  the 
life  of  sense  be  dying,  the  life  of  faith  should  flourish 
the  more  ;  it  is  a  life  that  cannot  die ;  for  the  branches 
thrive  and  bring  forth  fruit  in  their  old  age,  not  of 
themselves,  but  because  they  are  engrafted  into  the 
heavenly  vine,  in  which  they  live  for  ever.  "  I  am 
the  vine,"  says  Jesus,  "  ye  are  the  branches  ;  he  that 
abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth 
much  fruit;  for  without  me  ye  can  do  nothing."  But 


THE  AGED  BELIEVER'S  TRIUMPH.  399 

through  his  Spirit  strengthening  you,  he  will  make 
you  bud  and  flourish,  and  fill  the  face  of  the  world 
with  fruit.  He  will  so  fill  you  with  the  fruits  of 
righteousness  which  are  through  Christ  Jesus,  to  the 
glory  and  praise  of  God,  that  your  last  days  shall  be 
your  best  days. 

In  this  view  of  old  age,  it  may  become  a  favour- 
able time  for  exercising  and  improving  faith,  because 
the  activity  of  the  life  of  sense  is  abating,  and  thereby 
many  things  are  removed  which  before  obstructed 
the  growth  of  the  spiritual  life.  Now  is  the  time  to 
learn  to  walk  by  faith,  and  not  by  sense.  A  believer, 
young  in  years  and  young  in  experience,  is  often 
tempted  to  judge  of  himself  by  his  feelings  more 
than  by  the  word  of  God.  In  a  good  frame  he  is  a 
good  believer.  Then  all  is  well  with  him.  But  when 
he  is  walking  in  darkness  he  is  very  apt  to  question 
his  state — u  If  all  be  right  with  me,  why  am  I  thus? 
My  present  frame  is  very  dull  and  uncomfortable  ;  I 
am  not  so  lively  as  I  used  to  be  in  prayer  or  in  or- 
dinances ;  my  delight  in  God,  and  the  things  of  God, 
is  far  short  of  what  it  was  formerly — perhaps  I  have 
been  deceiving  myself,  and  crying,  Peace,  peace,  when 
there  was  no  peace  for  me." 

From  this  temptation  age  itself  is  a  sort  of  de- 
liverance ;    self-activity   is  weakened,  and  thereby, 


400  NEABINQ  HOME. 

through  grace,  self-dependence.  The  believer,  if  he 
be  a  good  scholar,  will  now  learn  to  walk  more  by 
faith  and  less  by  sight.  The  vigour  of  his  senses  is 
decaying.  The  high  spirits  of  youth  are  abating. 
His  present  lesson  is  very  plain  and  simple,  and 
while  he  attends  to  what  is  passing  in  him  and  about 
him,  he  has  a  thousand  monitors  calling  upon  him 
now  to  learn  and  practise  a  perfect  dependence  on 
those  things  which  are  always  one  and  the  same,  with- 
out any  variableness  or  the  least  shadow  of  turning 
— one  record  of  God — one  Saviour — one  Spirit — one 
faith,  of  which  the  Saviour  is  the  author  and  the  fin- 
isher. This  faith  is  made  to  grow  and  flourish,  as 
there  is  less  dependence  on  other  things ;  and  as  age 
itself  tends  to  weaken  this  dependence,  it  becomes,  in 
the  hand  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  a  favourable  time  to 
live  less  upon  the  things  which  are  seen,  and  more 
upon  the  things  which  are  not  seen.  Less  of  sense, 
more  of  faith.  One  scale  rises  as  the  other  falls 
The  outward  man  dying,  the  inward  man  grows  more 
lively — yea,  grows  up  into  Christ  Jesus,  and  that  in 
all  things.  0  blessed  old  man !  thou  hast  lived  to 
<><m1  time  when  this  is  thy  experience  ;  when  in  the 
prayer  of  faith  thou  canst  cast  all  thy  burdens  on 
thy  Saviour :  "  Lord,  keep  me,  a  poor  helpless  crea- 
ture ;  now  I  feel  that  of  myself  I  can  do  nothing  as 


THE  AGED  BELIEVER'S  TRIUMPH.  401 

I  ought  or  as  I  wish  to  do.  Glorify  thy  grace  in  me, 
and  strengthen  me  mightily  by  thy  Spirit  in  the  in- 
ner man,  that  I  may  bless  thee  for  thy  salvation,  and 
for  the  things  which  accompany  salvation.  Into  thy 
faithful  hands,  for  life  and  death,  I  commit  myself 
and  all  my  concerns ;  for  thou  hast  redeemed  me,  0 
Lord,  thou  God  of  truth."" 

But  it  must  be  remembered  that  old  age  does  not 
produce  these  happy  effects  of  itself.  It  is  not  of  na- 
ture, but  entirely  of  grace,  that  any  one  is  able  to 
gain  such  spiritual  profit  from  bodily  infirmities. 
The  mere  natural  man,  fortify  him  with  all  his 
boasted  aids  of  reason  and  philosophy,  yet  cannot 
help  murmuring  when  age  brings  weakness,  and 
sickness  brings  pains.  He  becomes  peevish  and  fret- 
ful. Having  no  friendship  with  God,  he  cannot  look 
up  for  divine  supports  when  all  human  begin  to  fail 
him.  Under  a  severe  fit  of  the  stone,  or  a  long  fit 
of  the  gout,  he  is  often  out  of  all  patience.  Uneasy 
in  himself,  he  is  out  of  humour  with  everybody  and 
everything.  How  different  is  the  believer  in  the  same 
circumstances  !  His  body  feels  pain  as  others'  do  ;  but 
his  mind  is  comfortable  and  at  ease.  Happy  in  God, 
he  has  patience  given  him  to  bear  his  sufferings,  and 
grace  to  profit  from  them ;  yea,  the  peace  of  God 
rules  in  his  heart  always  and  by  nil  means. 

51 


402  XEARIXG  HOME. 

.  An  old  man  with  this  peace,  which  surpasseth  all 

understanding,  ruling  in  his  heart,  will  be  so  far 
from  complaining,  that  he  has  everything  to  be  thank- 
ful for  which  can  render  him  blessed  of  the  Lord. 
He  is  provided  with  an  infallible  antidote  against  all 
that  old  age  can  try  him  with.  It  is  true,  I  have  an 
infirm  body,  but,  thank  God,  I  have  a  sound  mind. 
Age  has  brought  upon  me  great  weakness,  but  this 
makes  more  room  for  the  power  of  God,  that  it  may 
1  e  perfected  in  my  weakness.  I  have  many  pains, 
but  not  so  many  as  he  has  comforts  to  give  me ;  in 
the  worst  of  them  he  keeps  me  patient.  "  Father,  thy 
will  be  done."  I  have  an  afflicted  body,  but  I  have 
a  happy  heart ;  although  the  outward  man  be  per- 
ishing, yet  I  faint  not,  because  the  inward  man 
is  renewed  day  by  day.  My  supports  are  great, 
the  consolations  of  God  not  a  few.  I  feel  the  symp- 
toms of  old  age  warning  me  daily  of  my  approach- 
ing dissolution.  Through  grace  I  take  the  warning. 
They  find  me  living,  and  I  hope  they  will  find  me 
dying,  in  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God.  The  earthly 
tabernacle  is  taken  down,  but  he  does  it  with  much 
tenderness  and  love,  and  assures  me  that  he  has  pre- 
pared for  me  a  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal 
in  the  heavens.  May  he  who  keeps  it  for  me,  and 
me  for  it,  never  leave  me  nor  forsake  me,  till  I  be 


THE  AGED  BELIEVER'S  TRIUMPH.  403 

with  him,  where  he  is,  and  be  like  him,  and.  enjoy 
him  for  ever  and  ever  !  Yet  a  very,  very  little  while 
— hold  on,  faith  and  patience — and  I  shall  see  Jesus 
in  his  glory,  which  is  the  heaven  of  heavens. 

0  thou  merciful  and  faithful  High  Priest,  Jesus 
Christ,  I  bless  thee  for  thy  kind  promises  to  the 
aged.  Thou  hast  suited  them  in  great  mercy  to  all 
their  infirmities,  and  thou  art  always  with  them  to 
help  in  time  of  need.  I  begin  to  feel  the  sad  effects 
of  sin  in  my  body,  weakening  it  and  tending  to 
bring  it  down  to  its  appointed  end.  To  thee  I  look, 
almighty  Jesus,  for  thy  promised  grace.  0  grant 
me  constant  supplies  of  thy  Spirit,  that  I  may  profit 
by  my  infirmities,  may  exercise  and  improve  my 
faith  in  thee,  that  they  may  keep  me  humble,  and  I 
may  pray  more  in  faith ;  and  keep  me  thankful, 
that  I  may  be  more  in  praise.  Thine  arm  is  not 
shortened,  nor  can  thy  compassions  fail.  Stand  by 
me  then,  and  hold  me  up  according  to  thy  word. 
Make  me  strong  in  thy  strength,  that  I  may  daily 
put  more  honour  upon  thy  love  and  thy  power.  In 
the  decline  of  life  let  me  not  doubt  of  thy  faithful- 
ness to  support,  and,  when  thou  seest  it  best,  to  com- 
fort me.  Vouchsafe  me  the  consolations  of  God ; 
when  my  heart  and  my  flesh  fail  me,  then  be  thou 


404  NEARING  HOME. 

the  strength  of  ray  heart  and  my  portion  for  ever. 
When  I  am  weakest  in  myself,  then  make  me 
•strongest  in  the  Lord ;  and  if  it  be  thy  holy  will  that 
I  should  become  quite  helpless,  an  infant  again,  make 
me  to  lie  quiet  in  thy  hand  without  murmuring  or 
repining,  but  believing  that  thou  art  all  my  salva- 
tion, and  enjoying  in  thee  all  my  desire.  Grant  me 
this,  Lord  Jesus  ;  for  thy  mercy's  sake,  let  me  die  in 
faith.     Amen  and  Amen. 


1  tittle  f|;tg. 


MISS  JOSEPHINE  POLLARD. 

A  little  \>  ay — I  know  it  is  not  far 

To  that  dear  home  where  my  beloved  are ; 

And  yet  my  faith  grows  weaker,  as  I  stand 

A  poor,  lone  pilgrim  in  a  dreary  land, 

Where  present  pain  the  future  bliss  obscures ; 

And  still  my  heart  sits  like  a  bird  upon 

The  empty  nest,  and  mourns  its  treasures  gone ; 

Plumed  for  their  flight, 

And  vanished  quite. 
Ah  !  me,  where  is  the  comfort  ? — though  I  say 
They  have  but  journeyed  on  a  little  way ! 

A  little  way — at  times  they  seem  so  near, 
Their  voices  ever  murmur  at  my  ear ; 
To  all  my  duties  loving  presence  lend, 
And  with  sweet  ministry  my  steps  attend, 
And  bring  my  soul  the  luxury  of  tears. 
Twas  here  we  met,  and  parted  company ; 
Why  should  their  gain  be  such  a  grief  to  me  ? 

This  sense  of  loss  ! 

This  heavy  cross ! 

405 


406  NEARIXG  HOME. 

Dear  Saviour,  take  the  burden  off,  I  pray, 
And  show  me  heaven  is  but — a  little  way. 

These  sombre  robes,  these  saddened  faces,  all 

The  bitterness  and  pain  of  death  recall ; 

Ah !  let  me  turn  my  face  where'er  I  may, 

I  see  the  traces  of  a  sure  decay ; 

And  parting  takes  the  marrow  out  of  life. 

Secure  in  bliss,  we  hold  the  golden  chain, 

Which  death,  with  scarce  a  warning,  snaps  in  twain, 

And  never  more 

Shall  time  restore 
The  broken  links  ; — 'twas  only  yesterday 
They  vanished  from  our  sight — a  little  way ! 

A  little  way  ! — this  sentence  I  repeat,     . 
Hoping  and  longing  to  extract  some  sweet 
To  mingle  with  the  bitter.     From  thy  hand 
I  take  the  cup  I  cannot  understand, 
And  in  my  weakness  give  myself  to  thee ! 
Although  it  seems  so  very,  very  far 
To  that  dear  home  where  my  beloved  are, 

I  know,  I  know, 

It  is  not  so  ; 
Oh  !  give  me  faith  to  feel  it  when  I  say 
That  they  are  gone — gone  but  a  little  way  ! 


FROM  THE  GERMAN  OF  N.  HERMANN. 

When  now  the  solemn  hour  is  nigh 
That  from  this  world  shall  call  me, 

On  what,  0  Lord,  can  I  rely, 
While  terrors  would  appal  me  ? 

My  soul  and  body,  to  the  last, 

I'll  on  thine  arm  of  mercy  cast, — 
'Tis  safe  to  trust  thy  mercy ! 

My  sins  may  seem  in  number  more, 
While  conscience  shall  recount  them, 

Than  sands  upon  the  ocean  shore, — 
Thy  grace  can  still  surmount  them. 

I'll  think,  clear  Saviour,  of  the  death 

Sustained  by  thee ; — and  thus  my  faith 
From  sinking  shall  uphold  me. 

I  am  a  branch  of  thee,  the  Vine ; 

My  strength  from  thee  I  borrow ; 
Round  thee  my  tendril  hopes  shall  twine 

In  death's  drear  night  of  sorrow : 

*  Translated  by  Dr.  Mills. 

407 


403  NEABINQ  HOME. 

And  when  'tis  over,  thou  wilt  give 
An  endless  life  with  thee  to  live 
In  bliss  thy  sorrows  purchased. 

My  Lord  o'er  death  triumphant  rose, 

From  earth  to  Grod  ascended ; 
His  victory  yields  my  heart  repose, 

The  fear  of  death  is  ended ; 
For  where  he  is,  I  too  shall  come, 
And  find  with  him  a  joyful  home : 

Why  should  I  fear  to  follow  ? 

With  outstretched  arms  I'll  welcome  Christ, 
That  he  from  earth  may  take  me : 

I'll  leave  my  flesh  in  hope  to  rest, 
Till  from  the  grave  he  wake  me ; 

But  Christ  himself  will  go  before, — 

Of  heaven  for  me  throw  wide  the  door, 
And  bless  my  soul  in  glory, 


;|>e  gcabcnlg  |esi 


ANONYMOUS. 

How  welcome  to  the  aged  Christian  is  the  thought 
of  heaven !  As  the  toil-worn  labourer  hails  with 
gladness  the  hour  of  rest :  as  the  wave-tossed  mariner 
discerns  with  thankfulness  the  haven  of  safety;  as 
the  weary  exile  approaches  with  feelings  of  rapture 
his  native  country;  so  does  the  believer  rejoice  in  the 
immediate  prospect  of  eternal  glory.  He  loves  to 
think  of  that  moment  when  he  shall  be  absent  from 
the  body  and  present  with  the  Lord ;  when  the  cares, 
the  conflicts,  and  the  corruptions  which  surround 
him  here  will  be  exchanged  for  the  peace  and  purity 
which  pervade  the  everlasting  abode  of  the  redeemed. 
Varied  are  the  attractions  which  draw  his  thoughts 
and  affections  thither.  Deliverance  from  trouble, 
freedom  from  sin,  increase  of  knowledge,  separation 
from  the  ungodly,  intercourse  with  the  holy,  commu- 
nion with  his  Saviour, — these  and  other  delineations 
of  the  heavenly  state  make  him  ready,  willing,  eager 
to  depart  from  the  present  life,  and  to  enter  upon 
that  new  and  nolle  existence. 

52  409 


410  NEABINC   HOME. 

"My  chief  conception  of  heaven,"  said  Robert 
Hall,  who  was  an  almost  constant  sufferer  from  acute 
bodily  pain,  "is  rest."  And  many  sons  and  daughters 
of  affliction  can  respond  to  his  remark.  They  have 
so  much  to  do  and  to  suffer,  they  see  so  much  misery 
and  discord  around  them,  their  spiritual  foes  are  so 
powerful  and  persevering,  that  the  sigh  of  the  Psalm- 
ist is  often  heard  from  their  lips :  "  Oh  that  I  had 
wings  like  a  clove !  for  then  would  I  fly  away,  and  be 
at  rest."*  Rest!  Where?  In  heaven:  there  the 
weary  are  at  rest. 

They  rest  from  toil.  From  physical  exertion  and 
from  mental  labour.  The  hand  no  longer  has  to 
procure  bread  for  the  sustenance  of  life,  and  to  pro- 
vide things  honest  in  the  sight  of  all  men ;  the  head 
no  longer  has  to  plan  for  avoiding  difficulties  and 
distress,  and  to  strive  after  a  temporary  relief  from 
some  of  the  cares  of  daily  life.  "  They  shall  hunger 
no  more,  neither  thirst  any  more."f  "They  rest 
from  their  labours ;  and  their  works  do  follow 
them. "J     All  fatigue  and  anxiety  are  for  ever  ended. 

They  rest  from  pain.  The  inhabitant  of  that 
heavenly  city  shall  not  say,  I  am  sick;  "neither  shall 
there  be  any  more  pain :  for  the  former  things  are 
passed  away."§     "  I  shall  soon  be  at  home  now," 

*  Psalm  lv.  6.       t  Rev.  vii.  16.       J  Rev.  xiv.  13.      I  Rev.  xxi.  4. 


THE  HE  A  VENL  Y  .  IEST.  41 1 

said  an  aged  Christian  woman,  who  had  been  for 
many  years  afflicted  with  a  painful  disease,  "  and 
then  all  suffering  will  be  over.  I  hope  I  am  not  im- 
patient ;  I  am  willing  to  bear  whatever  God  sends, 
and  as  long  as  he  sends  it ;  I  know  he  is  love.  But 
it  is  very  sweet  sometimes,  when  my  poor  body  is 
racked  with  pain  and  I  cannot  get  a  minute's  relief, 
to  think  that  I  am  every  day  nearer  heaven,  and  to 
feel  that  the  sufferings  of  this  present  time  are  not 
worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory  that  shall  be 
revealed.     What  a  change  it  will  be  !" 

They  rest  from  sorrow.  "  God  shall  wipe  away  all 
tears  from  their  eyes;  and  there  shall  be  no  more 
death,  neither  sorrow,  nor  crying."*  Yes  ;  God  him- 
self shall  wipe  away  their  tears.  The  days  of  their 
mourning  will  be  for  ever  ended,  and  sorrow  and 
sighing  shall  flee  away.  Want,  disappointment,  care, 
unkindness,  injustice,  bereavement,  and  every  other 
source  of  earthly  distress,  are  unknown  in  heaven. 
The  waves  of  grief  cannot  pass  the  confines  of 
eternity.  The  clouds  of  sadness  cannot  float  in  the 
clear  atmosphere  of  heaven.  The  voice  of  lamenta- 
tion and  weeping  can  never  mingle  with  the  songs  of 
the  redeemed. 

They  rest  from  spiritual  conflict.     Life  is  a  period 

*  Rev.  xxi.  4. 


412  NEARINQ  HOME. 

of  warfare  and  trial.  The  foes  of  the  Christian  are 
many  and  they  are  mighty.  His  own  unsubdued 
passions,  the  world,  with  its  temptations  on  the  one 
hand  and  its  reproaches  on  the  other,  and  the  great 
adversary  of  mankind  going  about  as  a  roaring 
lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour,  are  continually 
arrayed  against  him ;  and  he  must  be  always  upon 
his  guard,  always  ready  for  the  encounter.  Xor  does 
he,  except  in  occasional  moments  of  discomfiture  and 
depression,  shrink  from  the  battle-field.  It  is  his 
earnest  desire  to  fight  the  good  fight  of  faith,  and  to 
endure  hardness  as  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ. 
To  ask  for  victory  and  rest  from  a  mere  love  of  selfish 
ease  is  inconsistent  with  his  principles  and  feelings. 
God  has  called  him  to  the  contest,  and  when  he  sees 
fit  will  call  him  to  his  reward ;  till  then  he  is  willing 
to  wait  and  toil  and  struggle  on.  His  prayer  is  that 
when  his  Lord  comes  he  may  find  him  watching. 
This  is  a  right  spirit.  We  ought  not  to  grow  weary 
in  well-doing.  We  ought  not  to  wish  for  our  crown 
before  our  conflict  is  ended.  But  at  the  same  time 
we  may  look  forward  to  our  rest  with  hope  and  glad- 
ness. In  the  midst  of  our  conflict  with  evil  we  may 
soothe  and  refresh  our  spirits  with  the  thought  of 
final  victory.  As  we  press  forward  in  our  heaven- 
ward journey,  encompassed  by  difficulties  and  beset 


THE  HEAVENLY  BEST.  413 

with  dangers,   <ve  may  rejoice  in  the  consideration 
that 

"We  nightly  fix  our  moving  tent 
A  day's  march  nearer  home !" 

Yes :  our  warfare  will  soon  be  over — our  rest   at- 
tained. 

And  how  cheering  is  the  reflection  that  holiness  as 
well  as  rest  is  linked  with  our  anticipations  of 
heaven  !  Nothing  that  defileth  can  enter  there.  The 
Church  above  is  "  a  glorious  Church,  not  having  spot, 
or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing ;  but  holy  and  without 
blemish."*  The  Christian,  it  is  true,  is  already  sanc- 
tified by  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Sin  has 
no  longer  dominion  over  him  ;  for  the  grace  of  God, 
which  bringeth  salvation,  teaches  him  to  deny  un- 
godliness and  worldly  lusts,  and  to  live  soberly,  right- 
eously and  godly  in  this  present  world.  His  heart 
is  purified  by  faith.  He  has  put  on  the  new  man, 
which,  after  God,  is  created  in  righteousness  and  true 
holiness.  He  has  been  adopted  into  God's  family, 
renewed  in  his  image,  and  made  a  partaker  of  his 
holiness.  But  as  yet  how  imperfect  is  the  resem 
blance  which  he  bears !  how  feeble  are  the  attain- 
ments which  he  has  made!  While  he  delights  in 
the  law  of  God  after  the  inward  man,  he  sees  another 

*  Eph.  v.  27. 


414  HEARING  HOME. 

law  in  his  members  warring  against  the  law  of  his 

mind,  and  bringing  him  into  captivity  to  the  law  of 
sin,  so  that  in  the  anguish  of  his  spirit  he  exclaims 
with  the  apostle,  "  0  wretched  man  that  I  am  !  who 
shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death  ?"* 
Day  by  day  he  presses  toward  the  mark  for  the  prize 
of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  but  he  is 
often  sore  let  and  hindered  in  running  the  race  that 
is  set  before  him;  sometimes  he  stumbles  and  falls; 
and  sometimes  he  wanders  into  some  by-path  which 
leads  him  into  distress  and  danger ;  and  although  he 
never  gives  up,  although  each  revival  of  the  sin 
which  so  easily  besets  him — each  temptation  to  which 
through  unwatchfulness  and  self-dependence  he 
yields — only  prompts  him  to  more  prayerful  and 
vigorous  efforts  for  the  future,  can  we  wonder  if  he 
anticipates  with  eagerness  and  delight  the  moment 
when  he  shall  be  freed  from  the  defilement  and  im- 
perfection of  his  present  condition,  and  be  perfectly 
conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Saviour?  Oh,  to 
have  his  will  entirely  absorbed  in  God's  will ;  to 
have  every  thought  in  unison  with  his  mind  ;  to  have 
self  for  ever  lost  sight  of  in  the  radiance  of  his 
glory;  to  be  holy  and  unblamable,  and  unreprovable 
in  his  presence!     How  delightful  is  this  prospect ! 

Rom;  vii.  2-1 


THE  HEAVENLY  REST.  415 

how  all-sustaining  is  this  hope !  And  as  years  in- 
crease, as  life  declines,  his  desire  after  perfected  holi- 
ness grows  stronger  and  stronger,  until  it  overcomes 
his  fear  of  death  and  weakens  the  fondest  ties  which 
link  him  to  earth.  He  is  ready  to  leave  all  around 
him,  and  to  press  through  all  before  him,  in  order 
that  he  may  be  separated  from  sin  and  be  completely 
assimilated  to  the  likeness  of  Christ.  "  We  shall  be 
like  him !"  is  the  thought — the  glorious  thought — 
which  makes  heaven  so  precious  in  his  estimation. 
He  longs  more  for  purity  than  he  does  for  rest.  He 
wants  to  be  holy,  sinless,  perfected. 

His  desire  will  soon  be  granted,  his  hope  realized. 
"  Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst  after 
righteousness ;  for  they  shall  be  filled."  Filled  ? 
Satisfied  ?  Yes.  When  ?  In  part  now,  in  com- 
pleteness hereafter.  In  heaven  they  hunger  no  more, 
neither  thirst  any  more :  they  are  restored  to  the 
image  of  their  God,  and  are  faultless  before  his 
throne. 

And  then  how  delightful  to  the  thoughtful  and  in- 
quiring Christian — and  every  Christian  ought  to  sus- 
tain this  character — is  the  assurance  that  in  a  future 
state  our  knoivledge  will  be  greatly  increased !  In 
this  world  how  limited  are  our  highest  acquirements  ! 
We  are  like  children  playing  on  the  sea-shore,  and 


416  NEABINQ  HOME. 

diverting  ourselves,  now  and  then  finding  a  smoother 
j)ebble  or  a  prettier  shell  than  ordinary,  whilst  the 
great  ocean  of  truth  lies  all  undiscovered  before  us. 
But  what  we  know  not  now,  we  shall  know  hereafter. 
Now  we  see  through  a  glass  darkly ;  now  we  know 
but  in  part ;  but  then  we  shall  see  face  to  face,  and 
know  even  as  we  are  known.  Many  deeply  interest- 
ing and  important  questions  which  are  unanswered 
now  will  be  solved  then.  Many  difficulties  which 
perplex  us  now  will  be  exj^lained  then.  How  nu- 
merous are  the  mysteries  in  Providence,  both  in  con- 
nection with  our  own  history  and  with  the  history 
of  others,  which  will  then  be  unravelled!  How 
varied  are  the  mysteries  in  religion  which  will  then 
be  clear  to  us  as  the  light  of  noonday !  And  our 
knowledge  will  be  ever  increasing.  The  first  glance 
into  eternity  will  not  reveal  to  us  all  that  it  has  to 
unfold.  We  shall  be  always  learning  something 
new — continually  making  fresh  discoveries  of  the 
wisdom  and  power  and  goodness  of  God.  And  this 
without  weariness,  without  effort,  without  disap- 
pointment. 

Associated  with  the  perfected  development  and 
probable  augmentation  of  our  intellectual  powers,  is 
the  noble  and  uninterrupted  service  in  which  we  shall 
oe  engaged  above.     Alas!  how  feeble  and  how  poor 


THE  HEAVENLY  BEST.  417 

are  our  best  attempts  now  for  the  fulfilment  of  God's 
will  and  the  promotion  of  his  glory!  How  little, 
comparatively  have  we  done ;  how  little  can  we  do  to 
make  him  known  and  loved  among  our  fellow-men  ! 
Frequently  do  we  mourn  over  our  weakness  and  ap- 
parent uselessness,  and  feel  that  we  are  indeed  un- 
profitable servants.  But  in  heaven  our  service  will 
be  vigorous,  perpetual,  untiring.  There  the  weary 
will  be  at  rest,  not  because  they  cease  to  labour,  but 
because  labour  brings  no  fatigue ;  and  they  that 
"  have  entered  into  rest"  will  find  this  to  be  their 
rest,  that  "  they  rest  not  day  and  night."* 

Each  glorified  servant  will  doubtless  be  occupied 
in  the  manner  which  is  most  accordant  with  his  in- 
dividual bias  and  qualification.  As  the  cherubim  and 
seraphim  are  supposed  to  have  their  separate  and 
appropriate  offices,  though  all  stand  round  the  throne, 
so  may  we  expect  that  holy  engagements  will  be  dis- 
tributed in  amazing  diversity  among  the  white-robed 
saints.  But  this  will  be  the  delight,  that  each  one 
occupies  his  own,  his  proper,  his  favourite  employ- 
ment— that  for  which  his  being  is  made ;  no  nerve 
strained ;  no  part  burdened ;  no  power  taxed ;  but 
all  easy,  enjoyable,  delicious,  the  very  part  he  would 
have  chosen  ;  the  part  he  loves ;  the  part  he  can  do 

*  Rev.  iv.  8. 
53 


118  NEABING  HOME. 

best,  assigned  to  him  for  ever  and  ever.  And  in  this, 
his  own  proper  province,  each  one  will  exercise  his 
whole  perfected  being.  Whatever  he  loves  he  will 
understand,  and  whatever  he  understands  he  will 
love ;  and  both  his  mind  and  his  will  will  take  effect 
through  the  instrumentality  of  a  body  which  is  in 
complete  unison  with  his  spirit ;  never  cumbering  it, 
never  darkening  it,  but  instant  and  capable  to  do 
everything  which  the  thought  desires  or  the  heart 
suggests  ;  so  that  it  will  be  a  perfectly  intelligent 
affection,  performing  without  diminution  and  without 
delay  all  it  thinks  and  all  it  feels.  Then  shall  we 
understand,  in  that  entire  concurrence  of  all  the  pro- 
perties which  make  the  creature,  what  is  the  mean- 
ing of  that  service  of  which  Christ  spoke,  when  he 
said,  "  God  is  a  Spirit ;  and  they  that  worship  him 
must  worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth."* 

And  as  we  think  of  all  the  high  functions  and 
happy  services  of  those  in  glory,  shall  we  not  re- 
member those  loved  ones  among  their  number  who 
were  once  co-workers  with  us  here,  and  rejoice  in  the 
thought  that  we  shall  ere  long  share  in  their  holy 
occupations  and  participate  in  their  fadeless  joys? 
The  communion  of  saints  on  earth  is  sweet,  but  what 
will  it  be  in  heaven  ?     Here  there  is  much  to  mar 

*  John  iv.  24. 


THE  HEAVENLY  REST.  419 

and  interrupt  it ;  there  it  will  be  perfect  and  per- 
petual. We  shall  be  associated  with  "the  glorious 
company  of  the  apostles,  the  goodly  fellowship  of  the 
prophets,  and  the  noble  army  of  martyrs ;"  we  shall 
sit  down  with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  in  the 
kingdom  of  God.  We  shall  share  in  the  high  and 
holy  converse  of  those  esteemed  by  us  on  earth  for 
the  beautiful  graces  and  gifts  which  adorned  their 
character,  and  become  intimately  acquainted  witli 
others  long  endeared  to  us  by  their  labours  and  their 
worth,  but  who,  through  time  or  varied  circumstances, 
were  personally  unknown  to  us.  And  there  will  be 
no  discord,  no  prejudices,  no  rivalry  to  disturb  the 
harmony  of  our  intercourse.  We  shall  dwell  to- 
gether as  the  children  of  one  Father,  as  the  brethren 
of  one  family,  as  the  loved  and  loving  inhabitants 
of  one  eternal  home. 

But  dearer,  far  clearer,  than  the  thought  of  this 
complete  and  tender  sympathy  with  all  the  redeemed 
in  glory,  is  the  prospect  of  that  perfect  and  constant 
communion  with  our  Saviour  which  his  promises 
now  unfold  to  our  view.  "  I  will  come  again  and 
receive  you  unto  myself;  that  where  I  am,  there  ye 
may  be  also;"  "Father,  I  will  that  they  also  whom 
thou  hast  given  me  be  with  me  where  I  am ;  that 
they  may  behold  my  glory  which  thou  hast  given 


420  NEABINO  HOME. 

me."*  Well  might  one  of  Christ's  tried  and  hon- 
oured servants,  in  the  simple  meditations  which  she 
penned  as  she  waited  for  her  summons  to  pass  over  the 
river,  write :  "  To  be  where  thou  art,  to  see  thee  as  thou 
art,  and  to  be  made  like  unto  thee  ;  the  last  sinful  mo- 
tion for  ever  past ;  no  more  opposition ;  no  more  weari- 
ness, listlessness,  dryness,  or  deadness;  but  conformed 
to  my  blessed  Saviour,  every  way  capacitated  to  serve 
him,  to  enjoy  him, — this  is  heaven."  And  well  might 
her  flowing  words  animate  the  faith  and  hope  of  that 
devoted  missionary  of  the  cross  who  was  called,  when 
at  the  foot  of  Mount  Lebanon,  to  encounter  the  last 
enemy.  His  friends  having  proposed  to  pray  with 
him,  he  replied,  "  Yes ;  but  first  I  wish  you  to  read 
some  passages  from  'Mrs.  Graham's  Provision  for 
Passing  over  Jordan ;' "  and  on  hearing  the  words, 
"  To  be  where  thou  art,  to  see  thee  as  thou  art,  to  be 
made  like  unto  thee,"  he  anticipated  the  conclusion, 
and  said,  with  an  expressive  emphasis,  "That  is 
heaven !" 

Yes,  to  be  with  Christ,  to  see  him  as  he  is,  that 
indeed  is  heaven.  In  our  converse  with  him  now  by 
faith  we  rejoice  with  joy  that  is  unspeakable  and  full 
of  glory;  what,  then,  will  be  our  emotions  when  that 
glory  is  realized  and  his  presence  is  attained? 

*  John  xiv.  3 ;  xvii.  24. 


THE  HEAVENLY  REST.  421 

"Not  all  things  else  are  half  so  dear 
As  converse  with  the  Saviour  here ; 

What  must  it  be  in  heaven  ? 
'Tis  heaven  on  earth  to  hear  him  say, 
As  now  I  journey  day  by  day, 
Poor  sinner,  cast  thy  fears  away : 
Thy  sins  are  all  forgiven. 

"But  how  will  his  celestial  voice 
Make  my  enraptured  heart  rejoice ; 

When  I  in  glory  hear  him  ! 
While  I  before  the  heavenly  gate 
For  everlasting  entrance  wait. 
And  Jesus  on  his  throne  of  state 

Invites  me  to  come  near  him." 

Reader,  is  this  happy,  this  heart-cheering  antici- 
pation yours?  What  proof  can  yon  give  of  your 
title  to  mansions  in  the  skies?  Is  "Christ  in  you, 
the  hope  of  glory?"*  Have  you  "the  earnest  of  the 
Spirit  ?"f  Are  you  "made  meet  to  be  partaker  of 
the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light?" J 

Then,  "  rejoice  in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God."§ 
Your  warfare  will  soon  be  accomplished,  your  labours 
ended,  your  rest  begun.  JSTow  is  your  salvation 
nearer  than  when  you  believed.  A  little  while  and 
you  shall  tread  the  golden  streets  of  the  holy  city ; 
you  shall  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  which  is.  in  the  midst 
of  the  pxradise  of  God,  and  drink  of  the  pure  crystal 

*  Col.  i  27.  |2  Cor.  v.  5.  J  Col.  i.  12.  I  Rom.  v.  2. 


422  NEARING  HOME. 

river  which  proceeds  out  of  the  th.'one  of  Gocl  and 
of  the  Lamb.  A  crown  of  glory  shall  be  yours,  and 
the  waving  palm  of  victory;  you  shall  hear  the 
voice  of  harpers  harping  with  their  harps,  and  you 
shall  join  in  their  ever-new  and  triumphant  song: 
"  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive 
power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and 
honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing."*  "In  thy  presence 
is  fulness  of  joy ;  at  thy  right  hand  there  are  pleas- 
ures for  evermore,  "f 

Wherefore,  beloved,  seeing  that  ye  look  for  such 
things,  be  diligent  that  ye  may  be  found  of  him  in 
peace.J  "  Walk  worthy  of  God,  who  hath  called 
you  unto  his  kingdom  and  glory. "§  Remember, 
that  "  without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord."| 
And  the  well-grounded  hope  of  future  blessedness 
necessarily  leads  to  present  sanctifi  cation.  "  Every 
man  that  hath  this  hope  in  him  purifieth  himself, 
even  as  He  is  pure."][  The  "  exceeding  great  and 
precious  promises"  are  given  to  us,  not  only  that  we 
may  be  gladdened  and  comforted  by  them,  but  also 
that  we  may  be  made  partakers  of  the  divine  nature, 
and  escape  "the  corruption  that  is  in  the  world 
through   lust."**     "When   Christ,  who  is  our   life, 

*  Rev.  v.  12.       f  Psa.  xvi.  11.       t  2  Pet.  ill  14.      |  1  Thess.  ii.  12. 
||  Heb.  xii.  14.  'fl  l  John  iii.  3.  **  2  Pet.  i.  4. 


THE  HEAVENLY  REST.  423 

shall  appear,  then  shall  ye  also  appear  with  him  in 
glory.  Mortify,  therefore,  your  members  which  are 
upon  the  earth."* 

Weary  and  sorrowful  pilgrim,  the  sufferings  of  the 
present  time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  tho 
glory  that  shall  be  revealed.  Let  the  radiance  of 
coming  joys  illumine  the  clouds  of  present  grief;  let 
the  melody  of  heaven -breathed  songs  soothe  the  agi- 
tation of  your  troubled  spirit.  Oh,  your  "  light  afflic- 
tion is  but  for  a  moment,"  and  it  "  worketh  for  you 
a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory; 
while  you  look  not  at  the  things  which  are  seen,  but 
at  the  things  which  are  not  seen :  for  the  things 
which  are  seen  are  temporal ;  but  the  things  which 
are  not  seen  are  eternal."f 

Aged  Christian,  the  time  of  your  departure  is  at 
hand.  The  sunset  of  life  and  the  night  of  death 
usher  in  the  dawn  of  immortality.  The  earthly 
house  of  your  tabernacle  is  about  to  be  dissolved, 
but  you  have  a  building  of  God,  a  house  not  made 
with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens.  "  Blessed  be  the 
God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which 
according  to  his  abundant  mercy  hath  begotten  us 
again  unto  a  lively,  hope  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus 
Christ  from  the  dead,  to  an  inheritance  incorruptible 

*  Col.  iii.  4,  5.  f  2  Cor.  iv.  17,  18. 


424  NEARING  HOME. 

and  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away,  reserved  in 
heaven  for  you,  who  are  kept  by  the  power  of  God 
through  faith  unto  salvation  ready  to  be  revealed  in 
the  last  time :  wherein  ye  greatly  rejoice  !"* 

Listen  to  the  words  of  your  ascended  and  glorified 
Saviour:  "  Surely  I  come  quickly  !"  What  is  your 
earnest  and  heartfelt  response  ?  "Amen.  Even  so, 
come,  Lord  Jesus  !"f 

*  1  Pet.  i  3-6.  t  Rev.  xxii.  20,  21. 


jpe  ||gtir  ffielfebtr  at  %  §ate  af  |l*abtit. 

THOMAS   GUTHRIE.  D.  D. 

I'm  kneeling  at  the  threshold,  weary,  faint  and  sore ; 
Waiting  for  the  dawning,  for  the  opening  of  the 

door; 
Waiting  till  the  Master  shall  bid  me  rise  and  come 
To  the  glory  of  his  presence,  to  the  gladness  of  his 

home. 

A  weary  path  I've  travelled,  'mid  darkness,  storm 

and  strife ; 
Bearing  many  a  burden,  struggling  for  my  life ; 
But  now  the  morn  is  breaking,  my  toil  will  soon  be 

o'er; 
I'm  kneeling  at  the  threshold,  my  hand  is  on  the 

door. 

Methinks  I  hear  the  voices  of  the  blessed  as  they 

stand, 
Singing  in  the  sunshine  in  the  far-off  sinless  land ; 
Oh,  would  that  I  were  with  them,  amid  their  shining 

throng, 
Mingling  in  their  worship,  joining  in  their  song  ! 

54  425 


426  NEABING  HOME. 

The  friends  that  started  with  me  have  entered  long 

ago; 
One  by  one  they  left  me  struggling  with  the  foe ; 
Their  pilgrimage  was  shorter,  their  triumph  sooner 

won ; 
How  lovingly  they'll  hail  me  when  all  my  toil  is 

done ! 

With  them  the  blessed  angels  that  know  nor  grief 

nor  sin  ; 
I  see  them  by  the  portals,  prepared  to  let  me  in. 
0  Lord,  I  wait  thy  pleasure ;  thy  time  and  way  are 

best; 
But  I  am  wasted,  worn,  and  weary;  0  Father,  bid  me 

rest. 


ttttt  teonnivg. 


REV.  JOHN    NEWTON. 


The  promised  land  of  peace 
Faith  keeps  in  constant  view : 

How  different  from  the  wilderness 
We  now  are  passing  through ! 

Here  often  from  our  eyes 

Clouds  hide  the  light  divine ; 

There  we  shall  have  unclouded  skies, 
Our  Sun  will  always  shine ! 

Here  griefs,  and  cares,  and  pains, 
And  fears  distress  us  sore ; 

But  there  eternal  pleasure  reigns, 
And  we  shall  weep  no  more. 

Lord,  pardon  our  complaints ; 

We  follow  at  thy  call ; 
The  joy  prepared  for  suffering  saints 

Will  make  amends  for  all. 

427 


Inmimra  is  mub. 


A.   D.   F.   RANDOLPH. 


Our  grandmamma  is  dead,  Aggie:  hear,  Aggie,  what 
I  say  :— 

My  dear  grandma  is  dead,  and  now  her  soul  is  gone 
away. 

It  seems  so  strange  without  her,  how  strange  I  can- 
not tell ; 

She  was  often  sick  and  tired,  she  is  rested  now  and 
well. 

Sometimes  I  stop  and  wonder  that  her  face  I  do  not 

see, 
And  sometimes  I  forget  myself  and  ask  where  can 

she  be  ? 
She  never  made  a  bit  of  noise,  she  talked  so  sweet 

and  low ; 
And  yet  our  house  seems  stiller  now,  no  matter  where 

we  go. 

423 


GRANDMA  IS  DEAD.  429 

She  loved  us  children,  Aggie ;  there  are  three  of  us 

in  all ; 
The  oldest  is  my  sister  Jane ;  and  Will  is  strong  and 

tall; 
And  I  am  twelve ;  and  all  of  us  she  used  to  rock  to 

sleep, 
When  Ave  were  little,  tiny  things,  and  couldn't  even 

creep. 

I  miss  her  more  and  more,  Aggie, — don't  wonder 

that  I  cry ; 
She  went  without  my  kissing  her — I  did  not  say 

good-bye  ;— 
For  on  the  morning  that  she  died,  so  did  my  father 

say, 
She  shut  her  eyes  and  went  to  sleep,  and  slept  her 

life  away ! 

I'd  like  to  tell  her,  if  but  once,  and  so  would  brother 

Will, 
We  are  sorry  for  our  naughty  ways, — how  much  we 

love  her  still. 
That's  where  she  used  to  sit,  when  he  would  creep 

behind  the  place, 
And  take  the  glasses  from  her  eyes  and  feel  her 

wrinkled  face. 


430  NEARING  HOME. 

She  was  very  old  and  very  lame,  Aggie ;  sometimes 
was  full  of  pain ; 

She  never  once  was  cross  to  us,  or  really  did  com- 
plain : 

Once,  long  ago,  when  she  was  sick,  she  said,  I  heard 
it  so, 

"  Come,  Lord,  and  take  me  home  to  heaven,  for  now 
I  long  to  go." 

The  day  she  died  was  stormy,  and  when  my  father 

prayed, 
He  thanked  the  Lord  for  helping  her  that  she  was 

not  afraid : 
I  knew  she  was  not ;  many  a  time  she  did  us  children 

tell 
That  those  who  love  him  when  they  die  shall  go  with 

Christ  to  dwell. 

Now  when  I  read  the  Bible,  and  about  that  happy 

place, 
I  think  that  she  is  there,  and  not  a  wrinkle  on  her 

face; 
I  know  she  is  not  lame  or  old,  that  there  she  has  no 

pain ; 
Yet  somehow  I  keep  wishing  she  was  back  with  us 

again  ! 


GRANDMA  IS  DEAD.  431 

Oh,  how  my  mother  misses  her!     I  often  see  her 

cry;— 
My  father  tries  to  comfort  her,  and  so  do  Jane  and  I ; 
I  do  not  wonder,  it's  so  strange  with  grandma  gone 

away, 
But  God  is  good,  my  father  says,  and  so  she  used  to 

say! 

I  keep  trying  to  remember  that  he  is  our  Father  too, 
And  like  my  father  here,  I'm  sure  he  nothing  wrong 

will  do ; 
So,  Aggie,  though  I  can't  but  cry,  it  is  all  right,  you 

know; — 
The  Lord  he  wanted  her  to  come,  and  she  was  glad 

to  go 


fltnjmig  nfttt  imtbctt. 


DE    FLEURY. 


Ye  angels,  who  stand  round  the  throne, 

And  view  my  Immanuel's  face, 
In  rapturous  songs  make  him  known ; 

Tune,  tune  your  soft  harps  to  his  praise. 
He  formed  you  the  spirits  you  are, 

So  happy,  so  noble,  so  good ; 
While  others  sunk  down  in  despair, 

Confirmed  by  his  power  ye  stood. 

Ye  saints,  who  stand  nearer  than  they, 

And  cast  your  bright  crowns  at  his  feet, 
His  grace  and  his  glory  display, 

And  all  his  rich  mercy  repeat ; 
He  snatched  you  from  hell  and  the  grave, 

He  ransomed  from  death  and  despair ; 
For  you  he  was  mighty  to  save, 

Almighty  to  bring  you  safe  there. 

Oh,  when  will  the  period  appear 
When  I  shall  unite  in  your  song  ? 

432' 


LONGING  AFTER  HEAVE8.  433 

I'm  weary  of  lingering  here, 

And  I  to  your  Saviour  belong. 
I'm  fettered  and  chained  up  in  clay; 

I  struggle  and  pant  to  be  free ; 
I  long  to  be  soaring  away, 

My  God  and  my  Saviour  to  see. 

I  want  to  put  on  my  attire, 

Washed  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb : 
I  want  to  be  one  of  your  choir, 

And  tune  my  sweet  harp  to  his  name: 
I  want — oh  I  want  to  be  there, 

Where  sorrow  and  sin  bid  adieu, 
Your  joy  and  your  friendship  to  share, 

To  wonder  and  worship  with  you. 

55 


J?i( 


r0sshtg  t\t  ^iber 


REV.    ROBERT    F.  SAMPLE. 

"When  thou  passest  through  the  waters,"  &c. — Isa.  xliii.  2. 

Solemn  and  still  are  the  watchers  pale, 

^  And  quietly  steal  the  hours  away ; 
Heavily  droopeth  the  empty  sail, 

Silent  the  green  where  the  children  play. 

The  curtains  are  drawn  in  the  chamber  of  death, 
Through  the  sheltering  vine  faint  sunbeams  fall ; 

The  watchers  bowing,  with  long-drawn  breath, 
Wierd  shadows  cast  on  the  dusky  wall. 

On  poised  wings,  lo !  the  angels  wait, 

And  the  Ancient  of  Days  is  there, 
Who  pointeth  afar  to  a  golden  gate, 

As  faltering  lips  move  in  fervent  prayer : 

"  Jesus,  my  All-in-all ! 
To  thee  I  cry ; 
The  deepening  shadows  fall 
From  yonder  sky. 

434 


CROSSING  THE  RIVER.  435 

Lead  me,  0  Saviour  dear, 

Through  death's  dark  rolling  tide, 
Let  faith  not  yield  to  fear, 
But  strong  abide. 

"  Thy  footsteps,  Lord,  I  see 
Along  the  shore, 
And  here  I  wait  for  thee 

To  guide  me  o'er. 
Lead  me,  0  Saviour  dear, 
To  yonder  sunlit  land ; 
Let  faith  not  yield  to  fear  ; 
Take  thou  my  hand. 

"  Higher  the  waters  rise, 
The  billows  roll ; 
Oh  calm  the  stormy  skies, 

Save  thou  my  soul ! 
Ah  !  now  I  see  thy  face, 

Thy  loving  words  I  hear, 
I  praise  thee  for  thy  grace, 
I  shall  not  fear." 

"It  shall  be  well,"  said  the  dying  saint, 
And  Jesus  took  his  outstretched  hand, 
Who  uttered  words  of  tenderest  cheer, 
And  sweetly  spake  of  the  glory-land.       ' 


43(3  NEAMINQ  HOME. 

Enraptured  wo  watched  till  the  curt'ning  clouds 
Concealed  them  all  from  our  wondering  sight ; 

Then  the  ringing  of  bells,  and  anthems  loud, 
Of  the  welcome  told  from  saints  in  light. 
****** 

Solemn  and  still  are  the  mourners  pale, 
And  quietly  steal  the  hours  away ; 

Heavily  droopeth  the  empty  sail, 

Silent  the  green  where  the  children  play. 

There's  a  new-made  grave  in  the  churchyard  old, 
At  the  family  hearth  a  vacant  chair ; 

There's  gloom  in  the  home,  on  field  and  wold, 
But  radiant  glory  in  the  voiceless  air. 

Liveth  the  sire  in  love's  inner  shrine, 
Cherished  shall  be  the  mem'ries  of  yore, 

Linked  with  the  light  that  was  wont  to  shine 
On  the  old  arm-chair  by  the  cottage  door. 


mcixbcn. 

HORATIUS    BONAR,   D.  D. 

That  clime  is  not  like  this  dull  clime  of  ours : 

All,  all  is  brightness  there ; 
A  sweeter  influence  breathes  around  its  bowers, 

And  a  far  milder  air. 
No  calm  below  is  like  that  calm  above ; 
No  region  here  is  like  that  realm  of  love ; 
Earth's  softest  spring  ne'er  shed  so  soft  a  light ; 
Earth's  brightest  summer  never  shone  so  bright. 

That  sky  is  not,  like  this  sad  sky  of  ours, 
Tinged  with  earth's  change  and  care ; 

No  shadow  dims  it,  and  no  rain-cloud  lowers ; 
No  broken  sunshine  there  ! 

One  everlasting  stretch  of  azure  pours 

Its  stainless  splendour  o'er  those  sinless  shores ; 

Eor  there  Jehovah  reigns  with  heavenly  ray ; 

There  Jesus  reigns,  dispensing  endless  clay. 

The  dwellers  there  are  not  like  those  of  earth — 
No  mortal  stain  they  bear; 

437 


438  NEARING  HOME. 

And  yet  they  seem  of  kindred  blood  and  birth, — 

Whence  and  how  came  they  there  ? 
Earth  was  their  native  soil;  from  sin  and  shame 
Through  tribulation  they  to  glory  came  ; 
Bond  slaves,  delivered  from  sin's  crushing  load; 
Brands,  plucked  from  burning  by  the  hand  of  God. 

Those  robes  of  theirs  are  not  like  those  below ; 

No  angel's  half  so  bright ! 
Whence  came  that  beauty,  whence  that  living  glow  ? 

Whence  came  that  radiant  white  ? 
Washed  in  the  blood  of  the  atoning  Lamb, 
Fair  as  the  light  those  robes  of  theirs  became ; 
And  now,  all  tears  wiped  off  from  every  eye, 
They  wander  where  the  freshest  pastures  lie, 
Through  all  the  nightless  day  of  that  unfading  sky. 


%ttt  attir  yjwttt. 

ANONYMOUS. 

Heke,  'mid  death  and  danger,  mournfully  we  stay, 
Everything  around  us  yielding  to  decay ; 
But  in  the  better  country,  sin's  dark  triumph  o'er, 
All  things  are  enduring — life  for  evermore. 

Here,  with  weary  footsteps,  in  a  desert  waste, 
Strangers  in    a   strange  land,  we  pass   through   in 

haste  ; 
There  our  rest  awaits  us,  our  hearts  are  gone  before, 
In  that  land  of  brightness — rest  for  evermore ! 

Here  our  courage  faileth  in  the  storms  of  life, 
Our  hearts  are  sad  and  anxious,  ruffled  in  the  strife  ; 
There  the  tempest  endeth,  the  billows  cease  to  roar, — 
All  is  calm  and  tranquil — peace  for  evermore  ! 

Here  amid  our  sadness  silence  often  reigns, 
Or  our  voices  mingle  in  low  and  plaintive  strains; 
There  no  chord  of  sadness  shall  wake  an  echo  more, — 
Heaven  itself  resoundeth — song  for  evermore ! 

439 


440  NEARING  HOME. 

Here  amid  our  sorrow  sighs  are  often  heard, 
Fondest  hearts  are  parted,  sick  with  hope  deferred ; 
There  no  tear-drop  falleth,  hearts  are  never  sore, 
All  is  joy  and  gladness — joy  for  evermore  ! 

Here  'mid  deepening  shadows,  wearily  we  roam, 
Looking  for  the  day-star,  the  bright  light  of  home  ; 
TJiere  the  clouds  shall  vanish,  the  night  of  weeping 

o'er, 
When  the  sun  ariseth — light  for  evermore ! 

Only  a  little  longer  have  we  to  trust  and  wait 
E'er  we  reach  the  portals,  pass  the  pearly  gate, 
Hear  the  shout  of  welcome  from  loved  ones  gone  be- 
fore, 
In  our  Father's  mansion — homo  for  evermore ! 


\nt   f  attb. 


FROM  THE  GERMAN  OF  UHLAND. 


Theee  is  a  land  where  beauty  will  not  fade, 

Nor  sorrow  dim  the  eye  ; 
Where  true  hearts  will  not  sink  nor  be  dismayed, 

And  love  will  never  die. 
Tell  me — I  fain  would  go, — 
For  I  am  burdened  with  a  heavy  woe ; 
The  beautiful  have  left  me  all  alone ; 
The  true,  the  tender,  from  my  path  have  gone, 
And  I  am  weak  and  fainting  with  despair ; 
Where  is  it  ?  tell  me,  where  ? 

Friend,  thou  must  trust  in  Him  who  trod  before 

The  desolate  path  of  life ; 
Must  bear  in  meekness,  as  he  meekly  bore, 

Sorrow,  and  toil,  and  strife. 
Think  how  the  Son  of  God 
These  thorny  paths  has  trod  ; 
Yet  tarried  out  for  thee  the  appointed  woe ; 
Think  of  his  loneliness  in  places  dim, 
When  no  man  comforted  or  cared  for  him ; 

66  441 


442  NEARINQ  HOME. 

Think  how  he  prayed,  unaided  and  alone, 

In  that  dread  agony,  "  Thy  will  be  done !" 

Friend,  do  thou  not  despair, 

Christ,  in  his  heaven  of  heavens,  will  hear  thy  prayer. 


Iragtr  fot  Bnt  Staring  Mnotlitt  |<ftfrf&. 


ARCHIBALD    ALEXANDER,   D.   D. 


0  most  merciful  God!  I  rejoice  that  thou  dost 
reign  over  the  universe  with .  a  sovereign  sway,  so 
that  thou  dost  according'  to  thy  will  in  the  armies  of 
heaven  and  amono-  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 
Thou  art  the  Maker  of  my  body  and  Father  of  my 
spirit,  and  thou  hast  a  perfect  right  to  dispose  of  me 
in  that  manner  which  will  most  effectually  promote 
thy  glory  ;  and  I  know  that  whatsoever  thou  dost  is 
right  and  wise,  and  just  and  good.  And  whatever 
may  be  my  eternal  destiny,  I  rejoice  in  the  assurance 
that  thy  great  name  will  be  glorified  in  me.  But  as 
thou  hast  been  pleased  to  reveal  thy  mercy  and  thy 
grace  to  our  fallen,  miserable  world,  and  as  the  word 
of  this  salvation  has  been  preached  unto  me,  inviting 
me  to  accept  of  eternal  life  upon  the  gracious  terms 
of  the  gospel,  I  do  cordially  receive  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  as  my  Saviour  and  only  Redsemer,  believing 

443 


444  NEARINQ  HOME. 

sincerely  the  whole  testimony  which  thou  hast  given 
respecting  his  divine  character,  his  real  incarnation, 
his  unspotted  and  holy  life,  his  numerous  and  bene- 
ficent miracles,  his  expiatory  and  meritorious  death, 
and  his  glorious  resurrection  and  ascension.  I  be- 
lieve, also,  in  his  supreme  exaltation,  in  his  preva- 
lent intercession  for  his  chosen  people,  in  his  affec- 
tionate care  and  aid  afforded  to  his  suffering  members 
here  below,  and  in  his  second  coming  to  receive  his 
humble  followers  to  dwell  with  himself  in  heaven, 
ancl  to  take  vengeance  on  his  obstinate  enemies. 
My  only  hope  and  confidence  of  being  saved  rests 
simply  on  the  mediatorial  work  and  prevailing  inter- 
cession of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  in  consequence  of 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  is  graciously  sent  to  make 
application  of  Christ's  redemption  by  working  faith 
in  us  and  repentance  unto  life,  and  rendering  us 
meet  for  the  heavenly  inheritance  by  sanctifying  us 
in  the  whole  man,  soul,  body,  ancl  spirit.  Grant, 
gracious  Grod!  that  the  rich  blesssings  of  the  new 
covenant  may  be  freely  bestowed  on  thy  unworthy 
servant.  I  acknowledge  that  I  have  no  claim  to  thy 
favour  on  account  of  any  goodness  in  me  by  nature, 
for,  alas !  there  dwelleth  in  me,  that  is  in  my  flesh, 
no  good  thing;  nor  on  account  of  any  works  of  right- 
eousness done  by  me,  for  all  our  righteousnesses  are 


PRAYER  FOR  ONE  NEARING  ANOTHER  WORLD.     445 

as  filthy  rags.  Neither  am  I  able  to  make  atone- 
ment for  any  one  of  my  innumerable  transgressions ; 
which,  I  confess  before  thee,  are  not  only  many  in 
number,  but  heinous  in  their  nature,  justly  deserving 
thy  displeasure  and  wrath,  so  that  if  I  were  imme- 
diately sent  to  hell  thou  wouldst  be  altogether  just 
in  my  condemnation.  Although  I  trust  that  I  have 
endeavoured  to  serve  thee  with  some  degree  of  sin- 
cerity, yet  whatever  good  thing  I  have  ever  done,  or 
even  thought,  I  ascribe  entirely  to  thy  grace,  without 
which  I  can  do  nothing  acceptable  in  thy  sight. 
And  I  am  deeply  convinced  that  my  best  duties  have 
fallen  far  short  of  the  perfection  of  thy  law,  and 
have  been  so  mingled  with  sin  in  the  performance 
that  I  might  justly  be  condemned  for  the  most  fer- 
vent prayer  I  ever  made.  And  I  would  confess  with 
shame  and  contrition  that  I  am  not  only  chargeable 
with  sin  in  the  act,  but  that  there  is  a  law  in  my 
members,  warring  against  the  law  of  my  mind,  aim- 
ing to  bring  me  into  captivity  to  the  law  of  sin  and 
death.  This  corrupt  nature  is  the  source  of  innu- 
merable evil  thoughts  and  desires,  and  damps  the 
exercise  of  faith  and  love,  and  stands  in  the  way  of 
well-doing,  so  that  when  I  would  do  good,  evil  is 
present  with  me.  And  so  deep  and  powerful  is  this 
remaining  depravity  that  all  efforts  to  eradicate  or 


446  NEARING  HOME. 

subdue  it  are  vain  without  the  aid  of  divine  grace. 
And  when  at  any  time  I  obtain  a  glimpse  of  the 
depth  and  turpitude  of  the  sin  of  my  nature  I  am 
overwhelmed,  and  constrained  to  exclaim  with  Job, 
"  I  abhor  myself  and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes." 
And  now,  Righteous  Lord  God  Almighty,  I  would 
not  attempt  to  conceal  any  of  my  actual  transgres- 
sions, however  vile  and  shameful  they  are,  but 
would  penitently  confess  them  before  thee;  and 
wrould  plead  in  my  defence  nothing  but  the  perfect 
righteousness  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  died, 
the  just  for  the  unjust,  to  bring  us  near  to  God.  For 
his  sake  alone  do  I  ask  or  expect  the  rich  blessings 
necessary  to  my  salvation.  For  although  I  am  un- 
worthy, he  is  most  worthy  ;  though  I  have  no  right- 
eousness, he  has  provided  by  his  expiatory  death, 
and  by  his  holy  life,  a  complete  justifying  right- 
eousness, in  which  spotless  robe  I  pray  that  I  may 
be  clothed  ;  so  that  thou,  my  righteous  Judge,  wilt  see 
no  sin  in  me,  but  wilt  acquit  me  from  every  accusa- 
tion, and  justify  me  freely  by  thy  grace,  through  the 
righteousness  of  my  Lord  and  Saviour,  with  whom 
thou  art  ever  well  pleased.  And  my  earnest  prayer 
is,  that  Jesus  may  save  me  from  my  sins,  as  well  as 
from  their  punishment;  that  I  may  be  redeemed  from 
all  iniquity,  as  well  as  from  the  condemnation  of  the 


PRAYER  FOR  ONE  NEARING  ANOTHER  WORLD.     447 

law ;  that  the  work  of  sanctification  may  be  carried 
on  in  my  soul  by  thy  word  and  Spirit,  until  it  be 
perfected  at  thine  appointed  time.  And  grant,  0 
Lord !  that  as  long  as  I  am  in  the  body  I  may  make 
it  my  constant  study  and  chief  aim  to  glorify  thy 
name,  both  with  soul  and  body,  which  are  no  longer 
mine,  but  thine ;  for  I  am  "  bought  with  a  price" — 
not  with  silver  and  gold,  but  with  the  precious  blood 
of  Christ,  as  of  a  lamb  without  blemish  and  without 
spot.  Enable  me  to  let  my  light  so  shine  that 
others,  seeing  my  good  works,  may  be  led  to  glorify 
thy  name.  Oh  make  use  of  me  as  an  humble  in- 
strument of  advancing  thy  kingdom  on  earth  ■  and 
promoting  the  salvation  of  immortal  souls.  If  thou 
hast  appointed  suffering  for  me  here  below,  I  beseech 
thee  to  consider  my  weakness,  and  let  thy  chastise- 
ments be  those  of  a  loving  father,  that  I  may  be 
made  partaker  of  thy  holiness.  And  let  me  not  be 
tempted  above  what  I  am  able  to  bear,  but  with  the 
temptation  make  a  way  for  escape. 

0  most  merciful  God !  cast  me  not  off  in  the  time 
of  old  age ;  forsake  me  not  when  my  strength  de- 
clineth.  Now,  when  I  am  old  and  gray-headed,  for- 
sake me  not ;  but  let  thy  grace  be  sufficient  for  me, 
and  enable  me  to  bring  forth  fruit  even  in  old  age. 
May  my  hoary  head  be  found  in  the  ways  of  right- 


448  NEABING  HOME. 

eousness !  Preserve  my  mind  from  dotage  and  im- 
becility, and  my  body  from  protracted  disease  and 
excruciating  pain.  Deliver  me  from  despondency 
and  discouragement  in  my  declining  years,  and  en- 
able me  to  bear  affliction  with  patience,  fortitude,  and 
perfect  submission  to  thy  holy  will.  Lift  upon  me 
perpetually  the  light  of  thy  reconciled  countenance, 
and  cause  me  to  rejoice  in  thy  salvation  and  in  the 
hope  of  thy  glory.  May  the  peace  that  passeth  all 
understanding  be  constantly  diffused  through  my 
soul,  so  that  my  mind  may  remain  calm  through  all 
the  storms  and  vicissitudes  of  life. 

As,  in  the  course  of  nature,  I  must  be  drawing- 
near  to  my  end,  and  as  I  know  I  must  soon  put  off 
this  tabernacle,  I  do  humbly  and  earnestly  beseech 
thee,  0  Father  of  mercies,  to  prepare  me  for  this  in- 
evitable and  solemn  event.  Fortify  my  mind  against 
the  terrors  of  death.  Give  me,  if  it  please  thee,  an 
easy  passage  through  the  gate  of  death.  Dissipate 
the  dark  clouds  and  mists  which  naturally  hang  over 
the  grave,  and  lead  me  gently  down  into  the  gloomy 
valley.  0  my  kind  Shepherd,  wTho  hast  tasted  the 
bitterness  of  death  for  me,  and  who  knowest  how  to 
sympathize  with  and  succour  the  sheep  of  thy  pas- 
ture, be  thou  present  to  guide,  to  support,  and  to 
comfort  me.     Illumine  with  beams  of  heavenly  light 


PRAYER  FOR  ONE  NEARING  ANOTHER  WORLD.     449 

the  valley  and  shadow  of  death,  so  that  I  may  fear 
no  evil.  When  heart  and  flesh  fail,  be  thou  the 
strength  of  my  heart  and  my  portion  for  ever.  Let 
not  my  courage  fail  in  the  trying  hour.  Permit  not 
the  great  adversary  to  harass  my  soul  in  the  last 
struggle,  but  make  me  a  conqueror  and  more  than  a 
conqueror  in  this  fearful  conflict.  I  humbly  ask  that 
my  reason  may  be  continued  to  the  last,  and,  if  it  be 
thy  will,  that  I  may  be  so  comforted  and  supported 
that  I  may  leave  a  testimony  in  favour  of  the  reality 
of  religion,  and  thy  faithfulness  in  fulfilling  thy  gra- 
cious promises  ;  and  that  others  of  thy  servants  who 
may  follow  after  may  be  encouraged  by  my  example 
to  commit  themselves  boldly  to  the  guidance  and 
keeping  of  the  Shepherd  of  Israel. 

And  when  my  spirit  leaves  this  clay  tenement, 
Lord  Jesus,  receive  it.  Send  some  of  the  blessed 
angels  to  convoy  my  inexperienced  soul  to  the  man- 
sion which  thy  love  has  prepared.  And  oh  !  let  me 
be  so  situated,  though  in  the  lowest  rank,  that  I  may 
behold  thy  glory.  May  I  have  an  abundant  entrance 
administered  unto  me  into  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  for  whose  sake  and  in 
whose  name  I  ask  all  these  things.     Amen. 

57 


|>0b  of  mg  f}oit% 

ISAAC    WATTS,    D.  D. 

God  of  my  childhood  and  my  youth, 
The  guide  of  all  my  days, 

I  have  declared  thy  heavenly  truth, 
And  told  thy  wondrous  ways. 

Wilt  thou  forsake  my  hoary  hairs, 
And  leave  my  fainting  heart  ? 

Who  shall  sustain  my  sinking  years 
If  God,  my  strength,  depart? 

Let  me  thy  power  and  truth  proclaim 

Before  the  rising  age, 
And  leave  a  savour  of  thy  name 

When  I  shall  quit  the  stage. 

The  land  of  silence  and  of  death 

Attends  my  next  remove ; 
Oh  may  these  poor  remains  of  breath 

Teach  the  wide  world  thy  love ! 

450 


OOD  OF  MY  YOUTH.  451 

By  long  experience  have  I  known 

Thy  sovereign  power  to  save  ; 
At  thy  command  I  venture  clown 

Securely  to  the  grave. 

When  I  lie  buried  deep  in  dust, 

My  flesh  shall  be  thy  care ; 
These  withered  limbs  with  thee  I  trust, 

To  raise  them  strong  and  fair. 


S  toottlir  not  %ibt  ^Itoag. 

WILLIAM    A.    MUHLENBERG,    D.  D. 

I  would  not  live  alway, — I  ask  not  to  stay 
Where  storm  after  storm  rises  dark  o'er  the  way ; 
The  few  lurid  mornings  that  dawn  on  us  here 
Are  enough  for  life's  woes,  full  enough  for  its  cheer. 

4 

I  would  not  live  alway,  thus  fettered  by  sin, 
Temptation  without,  and  corruption  within ; 
The  rapture  of  pardon  is  mingled  with  fears, 
The  cup  of  thanksgiving  with  penitent  tears. 

I  would  not  live  alway — no,  welcome  the  tomb  ! 
Since  Jesus  hath  lain  there,  I  dread  not  its  gloom ; 
There  sweet  be  my  rest,  till  he  bid  me  arise, 
To  hail  him  in  triumph  descending  the  skies. 

Who,  who  would  live  alway,  away  from  his  God, 
Away  from  yon  heaven,  that  blissful  abode, 
Where  rivers  of  pleasure  flow  o'er  the  bright  plains, 
And  the  noontide  of  glory  eternally  reigns, — 

452 


I  WOULD  NOT  LIVE  ALW'AY.  453 

Where  saints  of  all  ages  in  harmony  meet, 
Their  Saviour  and  brethren  transported  to  greet ; 
Where  anthems  of  rapture  unceasingly  roll, 
And  the  smile  of  the  Lord  is  the  feast  of  the  soul? 


feje  f  orb's  mg  §Ijq%rb. 

ROUSE. 

Psalrn  xxiii. 

The  Lord's  my  Shepherd,  I'll  not  want , 

He  makes  me  down  to  lie 
In  pastures  green  :  he  leadeth  me 

The  quiet  waters  by. 

My  soul  he  doth  restore  again, 

And  me  to  walk  doth  make 
Within  the  paths  of  righteousness, 

E'en  for  his  own  name's  sake. 

Yea,  though  I  walk  in  death's  dark  vale, 

Yet  will  I  fear  no  ill ; 
For  thou  art  with  me,  and  thy  rod 

And  staff  me  comfort  still. 

Goodness  and  mercy  all  my  life 

Shall  surely  follow  me, 
And  in  God's  house  for  evermore 

My  dwelling-place  shall  be. 

454 


\t  pilgrim's  Sang, 


ANONYMOUS. 


I'm  but  a  stranger  here ; 

Heaven  is  my  home. 
Earth  is  a  desert  drear ; 

Heaven  is  my  home. 
Danger  and  sorrow  stand 
Round  me  on  every  hand  ; 
Heaven  is  my  Father-land  ; 

Heaven  is  my  home. 

What  though  the  tempest  rage ! 

Heaven  is  my  home. 
Short  is  my  pilgrimage ; 

Heaven  is  my  home. 
And  time's  wild  wintry  blast 
Will  soon  be  overpast ; 
I  shall  reach  home  at  last ; 

Heaven  is  my  home. 

There,  at  my  Saviour's  side — 
Heaven  is  my  home, 


455 


456  NEARINQ  HOME. 

I  shall  be  glorified  ; 

Heaven  is  my  home. 
Then  with  the  good  and  blest, 
Those  I  loved  most  and  best, 
I  shall  for  ever  rest ; 

Heaven  is  my  home. 

Therefore  I'll  murmur  not — 
Heaven  is  my  home. 

Whate'er  my  earthly  lot, 

Heaven  is  my  home. 

For  I  shall  surely  stand 

There,  at  my  Lord's  right  hand  ; 

Heaven  is  my  Father-land ; 
Heaven  is  my  home. 


otn  anir  Ijfearjj, 


S.   ROBERTS. 


My  feet  are  worn  and  weary  with  the  march 
Over  the  road  and  up  the  steep  hill-side  ; 

Oh !  city  of  our  God,  I  fain  would  see 

Thy  pastures  green,  where  peaceful  waters  glide. 

My  hands  are  weary  toiling,  toiling  on 

Day  after  day  for  perishable  meat ; 
Oh !  city  of  our  Grod,  I  fain  would  rest — 

I  sigh  to  gain  thy  glorious  mercy-seat. 

My  garments,  travel-worn  and  stained  with  dust, 
Oft  rent  by  briars  and  thorns  that  crowd  my  way, 

Would  fain  be  made,  0  Lord,  my  righteousness, 
Spotless  and  white  in  heaven's  unclouded  day. 

My  heart  is  weary  of  its  own  deep  sin, — 
Sinning,  repenting,  sinning  still  again ; 

When  shall  my  soul  thy  glorious  presence  feel, 
And  find,  dear  Saviour,  it  is  free  from  stain  ? 

68  457 


458  NEABING  HOME. 

Patience,  poor  soul !  the  Saviour's  feet  were  worn ; 

The  Saviour's  heart  and  hands  were  weary  too, 
His  garments  stained,  and  travel-worn,  and  old, 

His  vision  blinded  with  a  pitying  dew. 

Love  thou  the  path  of  sorrow  that  he  trod ; 

Toil  on,  and  wait  in  patience  for  thy  rest ! 
Oh !  city  of  our  Grod,  we  soon  shall  see 

Thy  glorious  walls, — home  often  loved  and  blest ! 


fl*  %  §aSs- 

LYDIA    H.  SIGOURNEY. 

When  adverse  winds  and  waves  arise, 
And  in  my  heart  despondence  sighs ; 
When  life  her  throng  of  cares  reveals, 
And  weakness  o'er  my  spirit  steals, 
Grateful  I  hear  the  kind  decree, 
That  "  as  my  day,  my  strength  shall  be." 

When,  with  sad  footsteps,  memory  roves 
'Mid  smitten  joys  and  buried  loves, 
When  sleep  my  tearful  pillow  flies, 
And  dewy  morning  drinks  my  sighs, 
Still  to  thy  promise,  Lord,  I  flee, 
That  "  as  my  day,  my  strength  shall  be." 

One  trial  more  must  yet  be  past, 

One  pang — the  keenest  and  the  last ; 

And  when,  with  brow  convulsed  and  pale, 

My  feeble,  quivering  heart-strings  fail, 

Redeemer !  grant  my  soul  to  see 

That  "  as  my  day,  my  strength  shall  be." 

459 


WILLIAM    B.   TAPPAN. 

There  is  an  hour  of  peaceful  rest 
To  mourning  wanderers  given  ; 
There  is  a  joy  for  souls  distressed — 
A  balm  for  every  wounded  breast ; 
'Tis  found  above — in  heaven  ! 

There  is  a  home  for  weary  souls, 

By  sin  and  sorrow  driven — 
When  tossed  on  life's  tempestuous  shoals, 
Where  storms  arise  and  ocean  rolls, 

And  all  is  drear  but  heaven ! 

There  faith  lifts  up  the  tearful  eye, 

The  heart  with  anguish  riven  ; 
And  views  the  tempest  passing  by, 
The  evening  shadows  quickly  fly, 
And  all  serene  in  heaven ! 

There  fragrant  flowers  immortal  bloom, 

And  joys  supreme  are  given  ; 
There  rays  divine  disperse  the  gloom : 
Beyond  the  confines  of  the  tomb 
Appears  the  dawn  of  heaven ! 

460 


\%  Will  be  Wit*. 


CHARLOTTE    ELLIOT. 


Ml  God,  my  Father,  while  I  stray 
Far  from  my  home  in  life's  rough  way, 
Oh  teach  me  from  my  heart  to  say, 
"  Thy  will  be  done !" 

Though  dark  my  path,  and  sad  my  lot, 
Let  me  be  still  and  murmur  not, 
But  breathe  the  prayer  divinely  taught, 
"  Thy  will  be  done  !" 

What  though  in  lonely  grief  I  sigh, 
For  friends  beloved,  no  longer  nigh, 
Submissive  still  would  I  reply, 
"  Thy  will  be  done  !" 

If  thou  should'st  call  me  to  resign 
What  I  most  prize — it  ne'er  was  mine; 
I  only  yield  thee  what  was  thine — 
" Thy  will  be  done!" 

461 


4G2  NEABINO  HOME. 

Should  pining  sickness  waste  away 
My  life  in  premature  decay, 
My  Father,  still  I  strive  to  say, 
"  Thy  will  be  done !" 

If  but  my  fainting  heart  be  blest 
With  thy  sweet  Spirit  for  its  guest, 
My  Glod,  to  thee  I  leave  the  rest — 
"Thy  will  be  done!" 

Renew  my  will  from  day  to  day, 
Blend  it  with  thine,  and  take  away 
All  that  now  makes  it  hard  to  say, 
"  Thy  will  be  done !" 

Then  when  on  earth  I  breathe  no  more 
The  pra}^er  oft  mixed  with  tears  before, 
I'll  sing  upon  a  happier  shore, 
"  Thy  will  be  done  !" 


hxt  momt. 


ANONYMOUS. 


Life's  sun  a  longer  shadow  throws, 
And  all  things  whisper  of  repose ; 
Our  toilsome  journey  soon  will  close, 
And  we  shall  reach  our  home ! 

Here  we  no  resting-place  have  found ; 
Unnumbered  dangers  lurk  around, 
Temptations,  snares,  and  griefs  abound  ; 
Earth  cannot  be  our  home. 

On  let  us  press  with  cheerful  haste, 
Nor  precious  moments  idly  waste; 
For,  oh !  we  long  those  joys  to  taste 
Which  are  reserved  at  home. 

Only  a  narrow  stream  doth  flow 
Between  this  dreary  waste  of  woe 
And  that  fair  land  where  richly  grow 
The  lovely  flowers  of  home. 


463 


464  NEABING  HOME. 

Its  peaceful  waters  softly  glide, 

And  Christ  through  them  our  steps  will  guide, 

And  land  us  on  the  other  side, 

Where  we  shall  be  at  home. 

Some  cherished  friends  have  gone  before; 
Their  conflicts  and  their  toils  are  o'er, 
And  we  shall  meet  to  part  no  more, 

When  we  have  gained  our  home. 

Their  songs  of  welcome,  sweet  and  clear, 
Will  soon  be  falling  on  our  ear ; 
For  we  are  drawing  very  near 
Unto  our  happy  home. 

No  clouds  of  sorrow  gather  there  ; 
Hushed  is  the  latest  thought  of  care ; 
Perpetual  joys  those  loved  ones  share 
Within  our  Father's  home. 

Life's  sun  a  longer  shadow  throws, 
And  all  things  whisper  of  repose  ; 
Our  toilsome  journey  soon  will  close, 
And  we  shall  reach  our  home. 


THE    END. 


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